(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 and the Limited Liability Partnerships Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 provide for the creation of limited liability partnerships (LLPs) and for the making of regulations concerning them.

These Regulations replace provisions of the Limited Liability Partnerships Regulations 2001 ("the 2001 Regulations") and the Limited Liability Partnerships Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 ("the 2004 Regulations") which apply to LLPs provisions of the Companies Act 1985 ("the 1985 Act") and the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 ("the 1986 Order") relating to accounts and audit. They apply to LLPs, with modifications, provisions on the accounts and audit of companies contained in the Companies Act 2006 ("the 2006 Act") and extend to the United Kingdom (reflecting the extent of the 2006 Act).

Separate regulations (the Small Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1912) and the Large and Medium-sized Limited Liability Partnerships (Accounts) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1913), to which these Regulations cross-refer, apply to LLPs provisions on the form and content of accounts previously contained in the Schedules to Part 7 of the 1985 Act and Part 8 of the 1986 Order and now prescribed in regulations made under Part 15 of the 2006 Act.

Part 1 of the Regulations contains general introductory provisions on citation, commencement, application and interpretation. The Regulations come into force on 1st October 2008, and for the most part apply to financial years beginning on or after 1st October 2008 (regulation 2).