Modernising UK Corporate Reporting: streamlining the annual report or eroding the value of corporate reporting?

On 7 September 2026, the government published a Consultation on modernising corporate reporting to support long-term economic growth. We have published a series of posts drawing on the key themes in the consultation and this update considers the suggestion that some of the information typically found in an annual report is uploaded elsewhere.

What is being suggested?

Some of the reporting requirements for annual reports are relocated to company websites or central online portals (such as the Gender Pay Gap Service or the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme). This content could also be delivered to the websites or portals on a separate timetable to that which drives publication of the annual report.

Why?

Annual reports can stretch to hundreds of pages and so placing some of the content elsewhere will make it easier to navigate the report and identify the key information which it sets out.

Further, some disclosures are particularly relevant to an audience beyond a company’s investors and creditors and so it can be valuable to have this information displayed on a company’s website rather than within an annual report.

It has also been suggested that putting some reporting requirements on a different timetable to the delivery of an annual report could also save time, ease resourcing pressures during the reporting period and allow companies to report more closely to when the information is relevant.

What would this mean in practice?

Depending on the scope of the reforms, this may significantly alter the look of an annual report. Proponents of this “streamlining” suggest that this will benefit companies, investors and creditors. There is, however, concern that the dissemination of information may:

• risk key disclosures being overlooked if they are not in one place;
• impact the trustworthiness of information if it is taken out of the scope of audit;
• reduce the coherence and comparability of the information being presented; and
• create an expectation that the information on a website or portal will be updated more frequently than is currently required.

Is there any more detail available at this stage? No.

What should I do now? If you are interested in this area either as someone who prepares annual reports or as an investor or creditor who relies on the information provided in those documents, you should consider responding to question 51 (What criteria should determine whether disclosures should be published on a company website or online portal rather than within the annual report? Please give examples, and explain your reasons.) and question 52 (If some disclosures were moved to company websites, what minimum requirements, such as retention timelines, frequency of updates, directors’ sign-off, and any other factors, should apply for effective disclosure?) of the consultation.

How long do I have to reply to the consultation? The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 30 November 2026.

Further information

We have published a short series of updates on other suggestions for key reforms.

• Goodbye to TECH 02/17BL: a new solvency based regime for dividends?
• Fully virtual general meetings: new company law reforms
• Modernising UK Corporate Reporting: company categories, thresholds and exemptions
• Modernising UK Corporate Reporting: financial and narrative reporting reform

If you would like to discuss this update or any of the others we have published, please speak to your usual Burges Salmon contact, AJ Venter (Partner, Corporate and M&A), Guy Francis (Director, Corporate and M&A), Charlotte Hamilton (Senior Associate, Corporate and M&A) or Nick Graves (Head of the Corporate Department).