Financial statements of a Czech s.r.o. and their publication in the collection of deeds — obligations and deadlines

Financial statements are not just an internal document for the director and the accountant. For companies registered in the commercial register — that is, for every Czech s.r.o. — they are also a document that must be publicly available. The Accounting Act requires the statements to be published by filing them in the collection of deeds of the commercial register, where anyone can view them: a business partner, a bank, even a competitor.

It sounds like a formality, but it is precisely here that companies regularly lose points — and sometimes money. This overview shows who must publish the statements, where and by what route, by when it has to be done, and what a company does not have to publish. The figures and deadlines reflect the rules in force in 2026; the key statutes are the Accounting Act (Act No. 563/1991 Coll.) and the Act on Public Registers (Act No. 304/2013 Coll.).

Who must publish the statements

Every accounting entity registered in a public register must publish its financial statements. In practice this means all limited companies (s.r.o.), joint-stock companies, cooperatives and other entities entered in the commercial register — regardless of whether they made a profit, a loss, or were dormant all year. Even a „sleeping“ company with not a single transaction has to prepare and publish its statements.

Whether a company keeps (double-entry) accounting is not a matter of choice for an s.r.o. — business corporations always keep it. The difference between full accounting and the simpler tax records available to a sole trader is explained in the article on tax records versus accounting. For an s.r.o. the conclusion is clear: the statements always arise and are always published.

Where and by what route the statements are filed

The statements are published by filing them in the collection of deeds kept by the relevant registry court as part of the commercial register. Historically the documents were sent directly to the court; today a company has a more convenient option: since 2021 a business corporation may submit the statements to the collection of deeds through the tax administration. It is enough to attach them as an electronic annex to the corporate income tax return and to indicate in the filing that they should be forwarded to the registry court.

This route saves a second filing — the company deals with the tax and the publication at once. The publication duty is met the moment the filing reaches the tax office; the court then files the statements into the collection itself. A company that does not use this option files the documents with the registry court separately (usually electronically via the justice department's smart form). The deadlines of the tax return and the related duties are covered in the article on tax returns and their deadlines.

By when the statements must be published

The basic deadline is clear: an unaudited company must publish its statements no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date, regardless of whether the general meeting has approved them in the meantime. Where the accounting period matches the calendar year, the balance sheet date is 31 December — so the statements for 2025 must be published by the end of 2026.

Companies subject to a mandatory audit have it stricter. They publish the statements and the annual report within 30 days of meeting two conditions — verification by the auditor and approval by the competent body — but again no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date. An audit usually does not apply to an ordinary small s.r.o.; after the thresholds were raised with effect for accounting periods from 1 January 2026, it applies only to medium and large entities — that is, companies that exceed at least two of three thresholds in two consecutive years: assets over CZK 120 million, net turnover over CZK 240 million, and 50 employees. One more date at the start of the chain: an s.r.o. general meeting should approve the statements within 6 months of the end of the accounting period — for a calendar year, by the end of June.

What a company does not have to publish

Not every company has to show everything. Micro and small accounting entities that are not subject to a mandatory audit do not have to publish the income statement — that is, the overview of revenues, costs and the result. They therefore file „only“ the balance sheet and the notes to the statements in the collection of deeds. The sensitive figure of how much the company actually earned stays out of public view.

The categories are set by the size of the company. A micro entity is one that does not exceed at least two of three thresholds: assets of CZK 11 million, annual net turnover of CZK 22 million, and 10 employees. A small entity has thresholds of CZK 120 million, CZK 240 million and 50 employees. The vast majority of ordinary limited companies fall into the micro or small category, so they do not have to publish the income statement — only the balance sheet and the notes go into the collection of deeds.

What happens if you don't publish

The state keeps an eye on publication. For failing to comply, the tax office may impose a fine under the Accounting Act of up to 3 % of the value of the company's assets — with a larger balance sheet, that is no negligible sum. Independently of that, the registry court may first call on the company and, if it stays inactive, impose a procedural fine of up to CZK 100,000; in extreme cases of repeatedly ignoring the calls it may even open proceedings to dissolve the company.

Beyond the sanctions, this is also about credibility. Missing statements, or statements left unfiled for years, are a signal to a bank, a supplier or a prospective partner that the company is not in order — and that is hard to undo. That is exactly why it pays to entrust the publication to an accountant who will prepare and file the statements in the right scope and on time.

Conclusion

Publishing the financial statements in the collection of deeds is a routine but mandatory part of the year for a Czech s.r.o.: the statements arise, the general meeting approves them, and no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date they must be publicly available. Micro and small companies publish less (without the income statement) and can handle the whole thing in a single filing through the tax return. Keeping an eye on these deadlines avoids fines and needless question marks over the company's credibility. For an overview of the other dates during the year, see the business calendar of a company's obligations.

Frequently asked questions

By when must an s.r.o. publish its financial statements?

An unaudited company must file the statements in the collection of deeds no later than 12 months after the balance sheet date, even if the general meeting has not approved them in the meantime. For a calendar accounting year the balance sheet date is 31 December, so the statements for 2025 must be published by the end of 2026. Companies subject to a mandatory audit publish within 30 days of verification by the auditor and approval, but again no later than 12 months. The s.r.o. general meeting should approve the statements within 6 months of the end of the accounting period.

Where and how are the financial statements published?

The statements are published by filing them in the collection of deeds kept by the registry court as part of the commercial register. A company can send them to the court separately (usually electronically), or — since 2021 — more conveniently through the tax administration as an electronic annex to the corporate income tax return. In that case the filing indicates that the statements should be forwarded to the registry court, and the duty is met once the filing reaches the tax office.

Does a small company have to publish the income statement too?

No. Micro and small accounting entities that are not subject to a mandatory audit do not have to publish the income statement — they file only the balance sheet and the notes in the collection of deeds. The figure of the profit achieved therefore stays out of the public register. A micro entity is one that does not exceed at least two of the thresholds: assets of CZK 11 million, turnover of CZK 22 million and 10 employees; for a small entity the thresholds are CZK 120 million, CZK 240 million and 50 employees.