What you hand over
- Your bank statements for the year, or access to your cloud accounting software
- Sales invoices and purchase receipts (paper, photos or Dext all work)
- Details of anything bought for the business, such as vehicles, tools or equipment
- Any loans, finance agreements or money you've put in or taken out
- Last year's accounts, if we didn't prepare them
What we do
- Check and tidy your records so the figures are right
- Prepare the profit and loss account and balance sheet
- Claim the allowances and expenses you're entitled to
- File statutory accounts with Companies House for limited companies
- Use the figures for your tax return or Corporation Tax return
- Go through the results with you in plain English
Limited companies
A private limited company has to file accounts with Companies House within nine months of the end of its financial year. The first accounts after incorporation are due 21 months after the company was formed. The same figures feed into the company's Corporation Tax return (CT600), which is due within 12 months of the year end. The tax itself is usually payable nine months and one day after the year end.
Most small companies can file simplified accounts. We'll prepare the version that gives away no more than it needs to on the public register, while making sure HMRC gets the full picture.
Sole traders and partnerships
Self-employed people and partnerships don't file accounts at Companies House, but you still need accurate figures to complete your Self Assessment tax return. Proper accounts also help when you apply for a mortgage, a loan or a tenancy, because lenders usually ask for them.
Why it pays to have them done properly
Accounts are more than a filing requirement. They show which parts of the business make money, whether you're taking out more than it can afford, and what tax is coming. We'll point out anything worth knowing, and anything worth doing before the next year end.
Key dates
- 9 months after year end
Company accounts to Companies HousePrivate limited companies; first accounts 21 months after incorporation.
- 9 months + 1 day
Corporation Tax paymentFor most small and medium-sized companies.
- 12 months after year end
Company tax return (CT600)Filed online with HMRC.
- Every 12 months
Confirmation statementConfirms company details at Companies House, within 14 days of the review date.
Common questions
When is my year end?
For a limited company it's the accounting reference date set when the company was formed, normally the last day of the month it was incorporated. It can be changed. Sole traders now report profits on a tax-year basis (6 April to 5 April), following the basis period reform.
I'm behind with my accounts. Can you help?
Yes. Call us as soon as you can. Late filing penalties at Companies House go up the longer accounts are late, so it's worth getting started even if your records are in a mess.
Tax information on this page reflects the rules as at November 2026. Rates, thresholds and dates change, so please talk to us before acting on it.