A Cyprus company has two distinct sets of annual obligations: those owed to the Registrar of Companies (corporate-law filings such as the annual return and the UBO register) and those owed to the Tax Department (the tax return and supporting accounts). Keeping a company "in good standing" means meeting both, every year, on time. The 2026 reform changed several of the rules — abolishing the old levy, moving the tax-return deadline, and resetting the thresholds at which accounts must be audited — so this is a good moment to take stock of what is actually required.
This guide sets out the full annual cycle for a Cyprus company in 2026: the HE32 annual return, the financial statements and the new audit/review thresholds, the corporate tax return, the UBO register, and record-keeping — with the changes the reform introduced clearly flagged.
The Annual Return (HE32)
Every Cyprus company must file an Annual Return (form HE32) with the Registrar of Companies. It is a corporate snapshot — shareholders, directors, secretary, registered office and share capital — and it must be accompanied by a certified copy of the previous year's financial statements. The two go together: the annual return for one year carries the prior year's accounts, and without them the filing is rejected and the company falls into default.
The return must be drawn up and filed within the statutory window each year. Under the Companies (Amendment) Law 2024, the penalty for a late annual return is now capped at €150 per return (replacing the old escalating daily charge), but persistent default can ultimately lead the Registrar to strike the company off — so the cap is no reason to be casual. Our corporate administration service prepares and files the HE32 and keeps the statutory registers current.
For years, every Cyprus company paid an annual levy of €350 to stay on the register. That levy was abolished from 2024 onward by the Companies (Amendment) Law 2024, and amounts already paid for 2024 were refunded. There is no annual company levy in 2026 — if anyone tells you otherwise, they are working from out-of-date information.
Financial statements and the AGM
A Cyprus company must prepare financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for each financial year, present them to shareholders at the Annual General Meeting, and file them with the annual return. The first AGM must be held within 18 months of incorporation, and thereafter at least once each calendar year. Sound bookkeeping through the year is what makes the statements straightforward to finalise — see our accounting and bookkeeping service.
Audit or review? The 2026 thresholds
Historically almost every Cyprus company needed a full statutory audit. The 2026 reform introduced proportionate thresholds, so smaller entities face a lighter assurance requirement:
| Turnover + other gross income | Assurance requirement (from 2026) |
|---|---|
| Up to €120,000 | No obligation to prepare accounts |
| €120,000 – €200,000 | A review (limited assurance), if total assets stay ≤ €500,000 for two consecutive years |
| Above €200,000 | A full statutory audit |
Whether a review or a full audit, the engagement must be performed by an ICPAC-licensed statutory auditor. Cyprus accountants who are not licensed auditors — including our firm — prepare the accounts and coordinate the audit, but the audit opinion itself is signed by a licensed auditor. We manage that relationship end to end through our network of licensed auditors, so you get a compliant audit with a single point of contact.
The corporate tax return
Separately from the Registrar filings, the company files its corporate income tax return (TD4) with the Tax Department. Under the reform timetable, from tax year 2026 the return and the final tax payment are both due by 31 January of the second year after the tax year — so the 2026 return is due by 31 January 2028. Provisional tax is paid during the year itself, on 31 July and 31 December. The full timetable, including VAT and payroll, is in our 2026 tax calendar, and the rate and reliefs in our corporate tax guide.
The UBO register
Cyprus companies must identify their ultimate beneficial owners and file that information on the Registrar's UBO register, keeping it accurate and up to date. The regime has moved from its interim phase to the final system, and non-compliance carries penalties. Maintaining the UBO filing is part of keeping the company in good standing, alongside the annual return.
UBO obligations sit on top of, not instead of, the annual return. A company can be fully up to date on its tax return yet still be in default — and exposed to penalties — for a stale UBO filing or a missed HE32. Treat the corporate-law and tax obligations as one combined calendar.
Accounting records
The company must keep proper books and records, updated within four months of each transaction, and retain them for six years. The 2026 reform reinforced enforcement around record-keeping and tax collection generally, so the days of reconstructing a year's books at filing time are over. Good monthly bookkeeping is both a legal requirement and the foundation of an efficient audit.
Keeping the company in good standing
The annual cycle for a Cyprus company is entirely manageable when it is run as a calendar: bookkeeping monthly, financial statements and AGM after year end, the HE32 with the prior accounts to the Registrar, the UBO register kept current, and the tax return and payments to the Tax Department on the new dates. Miss a piece and the costs are penalties, default, and — at worst — strike-off.
We run that entire cycle for clients so nothing is missed: accounts, audit coordination, the annual return, the UBO filing and the tax return, all from one point of contact. Get in touch to put your company's compliance on autopilot, and see our corporate administration and audit services.