Form an Isle of Man company
Isle of Man yearly filings 2026

Isle of Man annual fees: one anniversary, one return

Updated 11 November 2026Companies Registry fees and Income Tax Division rulesAbout 8 minutes to read
The short answer

An Isle of Man 2006 Act company files one annual return on each anniversary of its formation, £380 if filed within a month, and a company tax return 12 months and a day after its year end, even at 0%.

No audit, no public accounts. With us it is £1,890 a year, the same every year.

Find my dates Does substance apply?
Each anniversary £380 the only yearly government fee for a 2006 Act company Filed within a month of the anniversary. Late, it becomes £480, then £630.

The Isle of Man keeps it short: one government fee, one return to the Registry, one tax return, and an owner statement that rides along with the return. What catches people out is that the return is tied to the company's birthday, not to a calendar date, and the tax return arrives a full year after the books close. Here is your own timeline.

Key takeaways

  • The annual return is made up to each anniversary of incorporation and filed within one month, for £380.
  • Late, it costs £480 after a month and a day, and £630 after three months.
  • The company tax return is due 12 months and one day after the year end. Late: £250, then £500.
  • No audit, and private accounts are not filed with the Registry.
  • Economic substance applies only to resident companies with income from listed sectors.
  • Struck off? Restoration within six years costs £1,185 plus everything outstanding.
Chapter 1

Isle of Man filing dates from your formation day

11+1y
An Isle of Man company with Heirson, each year2026
Annual return fee, at cost£380
Registered agent, office, nominated officer, filings£1,510
Return due1 month after each anniversary
Your yearly total£1,890
Your own country may ask about the company too. Where you live: pick it

Two dates drive the year: the day of incorporation, which fixes the annual return, and the accounting year end, which fixes the tax return under the Income Tax Division's pay and file rules. Online filing of tax returns has been compulsory since 2015.

Accounting year ends on
    1
    Key takeaway

    The return follows the birthday; the tax return follows the books, a year later.

    Chapter 2

    The Isle of Man late fee staircase

    The Registry doesn't add a percentage or a daily charge. The fee simply steps up, twice.

    The tax return has its own two steps under the pay and file rules: £250 if it misses its due date, and a second penalty of £500 if it is still outstanding six months later, plus interest on any tax owed. Other late Registry documents cost £100, or £250 after three months, on the Registry's fees page.

    2
    Key takeaway

    A return three months late costs £250 more than one filed on time.

    Chapter 3

    Who files what for an Isle of Man company

    A 2006 Act company needs two licensed or resident people around it. Between them and the company, every yearly filing has an owner.

    Registered agentA provider licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority. Files the annual return and keeps the company in good standing. Without one, the company cannot stay on the register.
    Nominated officerA resident individual or a licensed provider. Gives the owner details to the beneficial ownership database within 21 days of any change, and confirms them each year by the return date.
    The companyFiles its own tax return online each year, keeps accounting records, and decides its year end. It can appoint a tax agent to do it.

    The owner register is not public. Police and regulators can see it, and since 31 December 2024 so can banks and other regulated firms checking a customer. The rest of a bank's checks are in our Isle of Man company bank account guide.

    3
    Key takeaway

    The agent files the return, the officer files the owners, the company files its tax.

    Chapter 4

    Does Isle of Man economic substance apply to you?

    Under Part 6A of the Income Tax Act 1970 and the Income Tax Division's economic substance guidance, substance is a test on what the company earns, not on every company. Pick the closest match to your main income.

    Penalty levels as Isle of Man advisers report them. A short case-by-case answer comes with your order.

    4
    Key takeaway

    Most founder companies are outside the test. Holding and IP companies are inside it.

    Chapter 5

    What an Isle of Man company costs to keep each year

    The price doesn't jump after the first year. In year one the government fee is the £100 incorporation; from year two it is the £380 annual return, and our share drops to match.

    • Year one, with us£1,890
    • Year two on, with us£1,890
    • Return more than 3 months late+£250
    • Tax return 6 months late+£750
    Inside our £1,510 a year
    • Licensed registered agent and registered office
    • Nominated officer for the owner register
    • The £380 annual return, filed within its month
    • The yearly owner register statement
    • Every date in your dashboard, with reminders
    Not inside it
    • The company tax return and accounts, quoted before you order
    • Nominee director and shareholder, £840 a year plus VAT
    • Certificate of good standing, £50 at cost
    • Closing or moving the company, priced before anything is filed
    5
    Key takeaway

    £1,890 every year, with the £380 return fee inside.

    Chapter 6

    Struck off the Isle of Man register, and back on

    12WEEKS
    1. Return not filedReminders, then the GazetteThe Registry writes first. A company that keeps missing returns, or loses its registered agent, heads for removal.
    2. Notice of intention to remove12 weeks to show causePublished under section 183 of the Companies Act 2006. The 2 November 2026 notice is a live example.
    3. Struck offRemoved from the registerThe company can no longer act, and its bank and agent treat it that way.
    4. Within 6 yearsRestoration by the Registrar, £1,185Form IM33, every outstanding return and fee, and a licensed registered agent willing to act. The Registrar restores it if that is fair and reasonable, and it is treated as never struck off.
    5. Dissolved companiesA second route, £1,200A company classed as dissolved applies under section 192, within 12 years. A company wound up in liquidation needs the court.

    Since 1 January 2026 restoration applications also go through the Registry's new company risk assessment. The £1,185 and £1,200 application fees are set on the Registry's fees page.

    6
    Key takeaway

    Twelve weeks' notice, then off. Coming back costs £1,185 and every missed return.

    Chapter 7

    Closing an Isle of Man company, or moving it

    What do you want to happen to the company?

    Close before the next anniversary and you skip that year's £380 return. Start a couple of months ahead so the Registry has time to process it.

    7
    Key takeaway

    Dissolve an empty company for £95. Moving it out costs £3,000.

    Chapter 8

    Isle of Man annual fees and filings: questions, answered

    ?
    How much is the Isle of Man annual return fee?
    £380 for a standard company filed on time. Filed 1 month and 1 day to 3 months late it is £480, and more than 3 months late £630.
    What is the deadline for the Isle of Man annual return?
    Within one month of its made up date, which is the anniversary of incorporation. A company formed on 11 November files a return made up to each 11 November, by 11 December.
    Does an Isle of Man company at 0% still file a tax return?
    Yes. Every company files a company tax return online, 12 months and one day after the end of its accounting period, even when there is nothing to pay.
    What is the penalty for a late Isle of Man company tax return?
    £250 if it is not filed by the due date, and a second penalty of £500 if it is still missing six months later. Interest can run on any tax that is due.
    Does a 2006 Act company need an audit or file accounts?
    No. The Companies Act 2006 sets no audit requirement, and a private company's accounts are not filed at the Companies Registry. It must still keep proper accounting records.
    Does economic substance apply to my Isle of Man company?
    Only if it is Isle of Man tax resident and earns income from a relevant sector, such as holding equity, owning intellectual property, banking, insurance, shipping, fund management, finance and leasing, or headquarters and distribution services. Consulting, software and online trading are not on the list.
    How do I restore a struck off Isle of Man company?
    Within six years of the strike off, apply on form IM33 with the £1,185 fee, file every outstanding return and fee, and have a licensed registered agent agree to act. The Registrar restores it if that is fair and reasonable.
    What does Heirson charge each year for an Isle of Man company?
    £1,890 a year, every year: from year two that is the £380 annual return fee at cost plus our £1,510 for the licensed registered agent, office, nominated officer and filings.
    How do I prove the company is in good standing?
    Order a certificate of good standing from the Companies Registry: £50, or £100 within three hours. It lists the last annual return date, so a late return shows. More in our Isle of Man company search guide.

    Changelog

    • 11 November 2026: first published.
    • 13 November 2026: official sources linked inside the text.
    Your Isle of Man company

    One anniversary a year, handled.

    We file the return in its month and keep the agent, office and owner statement in place, for £1,890 a year.

    See the Isle of Man company Isle of Man tax, explained