Buyer decision guide

Should you DIY, run the free checker, buy Annual Return Guardian — private CRO B1 deadline and audit-exemption allowance tracker, or hire help?

An Irish owner-director records each company's Annual Return Date, sees the likely Form B1 filing deadline and late-filing penalty exposure, tracks whether a late filing has already occurred in the relevant five-year audit-exemption window, and exports calendar reminders, while verifying the official ARD and filing status on CORE.

What this guide inspected

Actual product data, not a generic comparison.

This page is built from the reviewed public offer, the live product route, the free diagnostic route, checkout readiness, and the paid bundle component list.

Price€59
Checkout statusLive checkout URL present
Free diagnosticPublished
Paid bundle components checked5

Decision matrix

Choose the route that matches the risk.

01

DIY from public guidance

Use this when the issue is low-risk and you have time to read primary sources, build your own checklist, and keep evidence yourself.

02

Run the free diagnostic first

Best first move when you need a fast private screening result before buying anything.

03

Use the paid kit

Best fit when the problem is recurring, evidence-heavy, and specific enough that a buy-once workflow is cheaper than rebuilding from scratch.

04

Hire qualified help

Use this for legal, tax, medical, employment, accessibility, compliance, regulated, disputed or high-value cases where judgement matters.

Bundle evidence

Public component names checked.

  • GUIDE.md
  • app.js
  • company-register.csv
  • filing-checklist-template.md
  • index.html

Reviewed product

What the paid route adds

The paid product is for buyers who want the structured workflow and evidence pack, not just another article.

Included component

CRO B1 and Audit-Exemption Playbook

Explains the official-source basis for the 56-day filing window, late-filing fees, financial-statement upload checks, and the 16 July 2025 Section 22 audit-exemption change in...

Included component

Annual Return Filing-Record Template

A fill-in evidence trail for ARD, deadline, checklist status, CORE reference and adviser notes.

Included component

Multi-Company Register

A spreadsheet for directors or operators tracking multiple company ARDs, reminders and accountant/company-secretarial contacts.

Included component

Calendar Reminder Export

Exports .ics reminders at configurable intervals before the deadline. The file is a reminder aid, not a filing service.

Next step

Start with the lowest-friction route.

If the free result shows a real gap, continue to the product page and read the scope, limits, refund terms and checkout details before buying.