Year-end accounts and Corporation Tax for limited companies

What every limited company has to file

Every limited company has two sets of obligations after its year end: one with Companies House and one with HMRC. They run to different deadlines, which is where many directors get caught out. We prepare and file both for you, and we track the dates from the day we start.

Notice that the tax is due before the return. We aim to have the accounts and the tax figure ready well ahead of the payment date, so the company knows what it owes in good time.

Corporation Tax rates

Companies with profits up to £50,000 pay Corporation Tax at 19%. Profits over £250,000 are taxed at 25%. Between the two, marginal relief applies, so the rate rises gradually rather than jumping. If you have associated companies, those limits are shared between them. We work out which rate applies and show you how the figure was reached.

How the year-end works

1. 1

   Your year end

   We agree the position on the closing date with you: bank balances, money owed to and by the company, and any stock.

2. 2

   Adjustments

   We put through accruals, prepayments and depreciation so the accounts show the company's true position.

3. 3

   Accounts and tax

   The Chartered Accountant on our team completes the accounts and the Corporation Tax computation.

4. 4

   Your approval

   You review both and approve them before anything is sent.

5. 5

   Filing

   We file the accounts at Companies House and the CT600 with HMRC, and confirm the tax due and the payment date.

If we also keep your books through our bookkeeping service, most of this is already done by the time the year ends. The figures have been reconciled every month, so the year-end becomes a review rather than a reconstruction.

What we need from you

• Bank statements for the year, if we do not already keep your books
• A list of sales invoices unpaid at the year end, and bills you had not yet paid
• Details of any loans, finance agreements or equipment bought
• Any money paid between you and the company, so the director's loan account is right

Directors' pay and your own tax return

Most small company owners pay themselves through a mix of salary and dividends. Dividends come from profits after Corporation Tax. For 2026/27 there is a £500 dividend allowance, with dividend tax at 10.75% in the basic rate band, 35.75% in the higher rate band and 39.35% in the additional rate band.

Directors who take dividends usually need to file a personal Self Assessment return too, and we prepare and file that alongside the company's year-end. If you pay yourself a salary, our payroll service keeps the PAYE side in order.

Questions people ask