The Companies Office says that from August 2017 it is introducing a new annual return form for all industrial and provident societies.

It says the annual return form is a simple confirmation of details held on the register and no longer contains any financial or operational information.

"All societies will need to use the new form to meet the annual return filing requirement of section 8 of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1908. Filing is due within three months of each society’s balance date," the Companies Office says.

Courtesy reminders will be sent at the start of the filing month. If the annual return isn’t filed by the due date, the Registrar may decide the society has ceased to exist and cancel its registration.

The Companies Office says the annual return isn’t the same as filing financial statements and large societies required to prepare and register financial statements should continue to do that. The Registrar will send separate reminders to those societies to make this second filing requirement clear.