| Overview |
Before accounts can be filed, the Report Signature Information section must be completed. This records the signing dates for the Directors Report and Balance Sheet, and the officers responsible for signing each document. BTCSoftware uses these details to populate the signatory lines on the printed accounts and the iXBRL submission.
| ⚠ Important: The Report Signature Information must be completed before generating the iXBRL accounts file. If it is left blank, the accounts will fail validation when submitted to Companies House or HMRC. |
| Before You Begin |
- The officer who will be signing the accounts must be set up in BTCSoftware as a contact associated with the client. If they do not appear in the officer dropdown, add them via the Officers section of the client record first.
- Have the signing dates ready — the date the Directors Report was signed and the dates the Balance Sheet was signed and approved.
| How to Complete Report Signature Information |
- Open the accounts task in BTCSoftware.
- In the left-hand navigation tree, expand Report Signature Information — this is located in the bottom section of the left-hand menu, below Officers.
- Switch to Edit mode if the fields are greyed out — click the Edit toggle in the toolbar.
- Complete the three date fields:
- Date Report Signed — the date the Directors Report was signed.
- Date Balance Sheet Signed — the date the Balance Sheet Declaration was signed.
- Date Balance Sheet Approved — the date the accounts were approved by the board.
- Select the signing officers from the three dropdown menus:
- Officer Signing Report — the director or officer who signed the Directors Report.
- Officer Signing Balance Sheet — the director or officer who signed the Balance Sheet Declaration.
- Officer Signing Filleted Balance Sheet — the officer signing the filleted version submitted to Companies House. This may be the same person as the Balance Sheet signatory.
- Click Save.
| ✔ Tip: All three date fields can be set to the same date — this is common where the accounts were signed at a board meeting on a single day. Enter the same date in all three fields if applicable. |
| What Each Field Appears On |
| Field | Where It Appears in the Accounts |
|---|---|
| Date Report Signed | Signatory line at the foot of the Directors Report |
| Date Balance Sheet Signed | Signatory line at the foot of the Balance Sheet Declaration |
| Date Balance Sheet Approved | Approval statement within the Balance Sheet |
| Officer Signing Report | Name printed below the Directors Report signature line |
| Officer Signing Balance Sheet | Name printed below the Balance Sheet Declaration signature line |
| Officer Signing Filleted Balance Sheet | Name printed on the filleted accounts filed at Companies House |
| If an Officer Is Not Appearing in the Dropdown |
The officer dropdowns are populated from the Officers section of the client record. If the signing officer is not listed:
- Go to the client record in BTCSoftware.
- Open the Officers section.
- Add the officer — enter their full name, role, and any other required details.
- Save the client record.
- Return to the accounts task and the officer will now appear in the Report Signature Information dropdowns.
| ✔ Tip: Officer names are printed exactly as entered in the Officers section. Check the spelling and formatting of the officer's name before saving, as it will appear on the signed accounts. |
| Troubleshooting |
The date fields are greyed out
- Switch to Edit mode using the toggle in the toolbar. The Report Signature Information section opens in read-only mode by default.
The accounts are generating without the signing officer's name
- Check that the Report Signature Information has been saved — unsaved changes are lost when navigating away.
- Confirm the correct officer has been selected from each dropdown rather than left on the default blank option.
- Regenerate the iXBRL files after saving the Report Signature Information — changes made after the last generation will not appear in the accounts until you regenerate.
The wrong signing date is appearing on the printed accounts
- Return to the Report Signature Information section, switch to Edit mode, correct the date, save, and regenerate the iXBRL files.
| Frequently Asked Questions |
Q: Can the same officer sign all three documents?
A: Yes. The same person can be selected in all three officer dropdowns. This is common for sole-director companies.
Q: Can I use a different signing date for the filleted accounts?
A: Yes. The filleted accounts submitted to Companies House can have a different signing date from the full accounts. Enter the appropriate date for each.
Q: Does the signing date affect the iXBRL submission?
A: Yes. The signing date is embedded in the iXBRL tagging and is validated by Companies House. An incorrect or missing date will cause the submission to fail.
Q: I have already generated the iXBRL but now need to change the signing officer — do I need to regenerate?
A: Yes. Any change to the Report Signature Information after generating the iXBRL requires you to regenerate the files before submitting. The previously generated files will not reflect the change.