Form 45 is the SECP filing companies submit to report their annual accounts and financial statements — essentially the mechanism through which a company’s audited (or unaudited, for smaller companies) financial position gets placed on official record with the regulator, separate from the tax filing you do with FBR.
What Form 45 Covers
Form 45 accompanies the filing of a company’s financial statements — balance sheet, profit and loss account, and related schedules — with SECP after they’ve been approved at the Annual General Meeting. It’s how SECP maintains a public record of each registered company’s financial position year over year.
Who Needs to File Form 45
All companies registered under the Companies Act 2017 are required to file their financial statements with SECP, though the exact requirements around audit and the format of statements differ based on company size and category — private, public, single member, or small company classifications each have somewhat different obligations.
Filing Deadline
Form 45, along with the financial statements, is generally due within 30 days of the company’s AGM, tying it to the same AGM-driven timeline as several other SECP annual filings like Form A. Missing this window triggers late filing penalties similar in structure to other SECP compliance filings.
Audit Requirements
Whether your financial statements need to be audited by a chartered accountant before filing depends on your company’s classification — public companies and larger private companies typically require a statutory audit, while some small companies may qualify for relaxed requirements. Confirm your specific category’s audit obligation before assuming either way.
Why Timely Filing Matters
Beyond avoiding penalties, keeping Form 45 current matters because banks, potential investors, and business partners often check a company’s SECP filing history as a basic due-diligence step. A company with a clean, up-to-date filing record signals operational discipline that a lapsed one doesn’t.
For the annual return that pairs with this filing, see our Form A guide. To file directly, use the SECP eServices portal.
