Section 284, The Companies Act, 2009

(1) A company’s accounting reference period shall bedetermined according to its accounting reference date. (2) A company may give notice in the prescribed form to the Commission specifying a date in the calendar year as being the date on which in each successive calendar year an accounting reference period of the company is to be treated as coming to an end; and the date specified in the notice is then the company’s accounting reference date. (3) No notice shall have effect unless it is given before the end of 6 months beginning with the date of the commencement of business by a company and, failing such notice, the company’s accounting reference date shall be 31st March. (4) A company’s first accounting reference period is such period ending with its accounting reference date which begins on the date of its incorporation and is a period of more than 6 months and not more than 18 months; and each successive period of 12 months beginning after the end of the first accounting reference period and ending with the accounting reference date is also an accounting reference period of the company. (5) This section is subject to section 285, under which in certain circumstances a company may alter its accounting reference date and accounting reference periods.