How to File Your Company's Annual Return With SECP in Pakistan

Every company registered with SECP must file an annual return once a year, within 30 days of its annual general meeting. For companies with a 30 June year end, the meeting is reported to be due by 28 October 2026.

That date is three weeks away. If you run a small private company and have never filed, you are probably not alone. Many owners think the return is the accountant's job and only find out it is missed when a bank asks for proof. We read SECP's own pages on 8 October 2026 to set out what is required.

The annual return is a snapshot filed under section 130

The annual return is a one-page snapshot of who runs and owns the company. SECP says it is filed under Section 130 of the Companies Act, 2017. It shows the chief executive, directors, secretary, auditors, registered office, members and share capital as on the meeting date.

Listed companies file within 30 days of the meeting, and the registrar may extend that to 45 days. Everyone else has 30 days. A single member company has its own timing rule, which SECP's page does not spell out in days.

The meeting date drives every other date

The annual general meeting, or AGM, is the yearly meeting where owners approve the accounts. SECP's advisory is reported to say companies with a year end of 30 June 2026 should hold it by 28 October 2026. That is 120 days after year end.

We could not open the advisory itself. Its text reached us through a search summary, so treat the 28 October date as reported until you see it on secp.gov.pk. Count 120 days from your own year end if it is not 30 June.

Then add 30 days. If your meeting is on 28 October, the return is due by 27 November. Hold the meeting earlier and the return falls earlier too.

1. Finish and approve the annual accounts at a board meeting.
2. Hold the AGM within 120 days of the year end.
3. File Form A or B within 30 days of the AGM.
4. Complete the beneficial ownership steps and file Form-19, as described below.
5. Keep the filing receipt with the company records.

Some small companies need not file a full return

If nothing changed since your last return, SECP's page gives two exemptions. A single member company, or a private company with paid-up capital of not more than Rs 3 million, need not file Form A or B. Other companies only tell the registrar that nothing changed.

The reported advisory describes this second route as Form 24, filed where particulars remain unchanged. Where something has changed, such as a new director or a share transfer, file Form A.

Check carefully before you rely on the exemption. A new director appointed in the year is a change. So is a new registered office. "We did nothing this year" is often not true on paper.

Beneficial ownership is filed alongside the return

The advisory also asks companies to finish their annual beneficial ownership requirements. That means issuing notices, collecting declarations, updating the UBO register and filing Form-19 with the registrar along with the annual return. UBO means ultimate beneficial owner: the real person behind the shares.

SECP's FAQ explains why. When a member of your company is itself a company, the register of members does not show the real owner. The UBO rules fill that gap so banks, tax authorities and creditors can see who is behind the company.

If your shareholders are all individuals, the work is lighter, but it still needs a declaration on file. Ask your corporate lawyer or company secretary which form applies to your structure.

How to file through SECP's eZfile portal

SECP lists eZfile at the top of its website as the place for online filing. Log in with your company's registered user account, choose the return form, fill in the particulars, attach what is asked, pay any fee shown and keep the receipt.

We did not log in, because that needs a company account. We did not find a fee for Form A or B on the page we read, so we do not quote one. The fee schedule is on SECP's fee calculator pages.

If you have not yet set up a company, our guide to registering a private limited company with SECP online covers the first steps. The older overview of registering a company in SECP explains the types of company. Once registered, this yearly filing is the main duty that follows. A non-profit set up as a company has the same duty, and the choice between a society, a trust and a company is laid out for registering an NGO in Pakistan.

Common questions

What is the deadline for the annual return?

It is 30 days after the AGM. Listed companies may get up to 45 days from the registrar. SECP's advisory is reported to put the AGM at 28 October 2026 for June year ends.

Which form do I file, A or B?

Form A is for a company with share capital. Form B is for a company without share capital.

What is Form 24?

The reported advisory names Form 24 for companies whose particulars are unchanged since the last annual return. We could not read the form itself, so confirm it on SECP's statutory forms page.

Do I need to file if my company is dormant?

SECP's page says every company must file an annual return once a year. A dormant company still falls under that line, apart from the small company exemptions above.

What happens if I miss the date?

SECP's page does not state a penalty, so we do not give one. File as soon as you can and ask SECP's helpdesk or a company secretary what applies to you.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 8 October 2026. We read the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan page on Annual Returns (Form A/B and Form 29), its frequently asked question on ultimate beneficial ownership, and its home page and corporate alerts page. The statements on Section 130, the 30 day and 45 day limits, the two exemptions, Form 29 and Form 45 come from the annual returns page. The 28 October 2026 AGM date, Form 24 and the Form-19 filing steps come from a search summary of SECP's advisory, which we could not open directly, so they are reported. We found no penalty or fee figure on the pages we read, and we do not give one. Confirm everything at secp.gov.pk before you file.