Annual accounts and corporation tax — done properly, not just done
Filing your accounts and corporation tax return is not the end of the process — it is the result of it. When Hulljady Chartered Accountants prepares your year-end accounts and CT600, we are not simply recording what happened. We are reviewing every figure for accuracy, identifying every relief and allowance you are entitled to, and ensuring that what goes to Companies House and HMRC is both compliant and as tax-efficient as the law allows.
WHAT WE DO
Accounts and corporation tax services for UK limited companies
From straightforward owner-managed companies to complex groups with multiple subsidiaries, Hulljady provides a comprehensive accounts preparation and corporation tax service — always tax-efficient, always on time, always explained in plain language.
Statutory Accounts Preparation
Preparation of your annual statutory accounts in accordance with FRS 102 or FRS 105 (for micro-entities) — including profit and loss account, balance sheet, notes to the accounts, and directors' report where required. Reviewed with you before approval so you understand every figure and are comfortable signing the accounts as a director.
Corporation Tax Return (CT600)
Preparation and filing of your company tax return — including full tax computations, capital allowances schedules, loss memoranda, and any supplementary pages required. Filed electronically with HMRC within the twelve-month deadline, with the tax liability clearly communicated in advance so payment can be planned.
Companies House Filing
Electronic filing of your statutory accounts at Companies House within the nine-month deadline — using the iXBRL format required by HMRC and Companies House for digital submission. We manage the filing directly, confirm submission, and retain proof of filing for your records.
Tax Computation & Planning Review
Before finalising the corporation tax computation, we review your accounts for every available relief — capital allowances on plant, machinery, and vehicles; R&D enhanced deductions; loss carry-back or carry-forward; director pension deductions; and any other reliefs specific to your industry or circumstances. Nothing is left on the table.
Group Accounts & Consolidated Returns
For businesses operating through a group structure — holding company with trading subsidiaries — we prepare consolidated group accounts and coordinate corporation tax returns across all entities, including group relief claims, transfer pricing considerations, and the preparation of a single tax group payment position.
Prior Year Amendments
Where errors or omissions are identified in previously filed accounts or corporation tax returns — including missed capital allowances, incorrectly treated expenses, or reliefs not claimed — we prepare and submit amended returns and pursue any resulting repayments from HMRC on your behalf.
KEY FIGURES
KEY DEADLINES & RATES
The dates and rates that govern your annual accounts and corporation tax
Missing a filing deadline or miscalculating your tax liability has direct financial consequences. These are the key figures that govern every limited company’s accounts and tax obligations.
9 months — Companies House accounts deadline Private limited companies must file their accounts at Companies House within nine months of their accounting reference date. The first late filing penalty is £150 for accounts up to one month late, rising to £1,500 for accounts more than six months late — doubled for repeat lateness.
12 months — HMRC CT600 filing deadline Your corporation tax return must be filed with HMRC within twelve months of the end of your accounting period. A £100 automatic penalty applies immediately on the first day late, rising to £200 after three months, with tax-geared penalties for persistent non-compliance.
9 months + 1 day — Corporation tax payment deadline Your corporation tax liability must be paid nine months and one day after the end of your accounting period — three months before the CT600 filing deadline. Getting this timing wrong results in interest charges from HMRC at approximately 7.25% per annum on the unpaid amount.
19% to 25% — Corporation tax rates The small profits rate of 19% applies on profits up to £50,000. The main rate of 25% applies on profits above £250,000. Marginal relief tapers the rate between these thresholds. Associated companies divide the thresholds — a point that catches many growing businesses off-guard.
Note: The corporation tax payment deadline falls three months before the filing deadline — meaning many companies pay their tax before their return is finalised. Hulljady calculates your liability in advance and communicates it clearly so you can plan the payment without waiting for the return to be filed. We also advise on quarterly instalment payments for large companies to avoid interest charges.
HOW WE WORK
Accounts and tax packages built around your company
Every limited company is different — in its complexity, its transaction volume, its industry, and its tax position. Hulljady tailors its accounts and corporation tax service around what your company actually needs, with transparent fixed fees agreed upfront.
Micro-Entity Accounts — FRS 105
Simplified accounts for very small companies eligible to use the micro-entity regime — turnover below £632,000, balance sheet below £316,000, fewer than ten employees. Reduced disclosure requirements, lower cost, and faster preparation — without compromising on accuracy or tax efficiency.
Small Company Accounts — FRS 102 Section 1A
Full statutory accounts prepared under the small companies regime — including profit and loss, balance sheet, and notes — for companies below the audit threshold. The standard package for the majority of owner-managed limited companies.
Growing Company Accounts
Accounts for companies that have outgrown the small company regime or that require more detailed presentation — including enhanced disclosures, segmental information, or accounts prepared to a higher standard for banking or investment purposes.
Group Accounts & Consolidated Financials
Consolidated group accounts for holding companies with one or more trading subsidiaries — including intra-group eliminations, minority interest treatment, and a group-level corporation tax position coordinated across all entities.
Property Company Accounts
Specialist accounts preparation for property investment and development companies — covering rental income, loan interest treatment, capital expenditure versus revenue expenditure decisions, and the interaction between corporation tax and SDLT on property transactions.
First Year Accounts
For newly incorporated companies filing their first set of accounts — which may cover a period shorter or longer than twelve months depending on the date of incorporation — we manage the full process from trial balance to filed accounts, including advising on the accounting reference date and the first corporation tax payment deadline.
WHY HULLJADY
Accounts prepared by chartered accountants who know your business
There is a meaningful difference between accounts prepared by a qualified chartered accountant who knows your business and accounts produced from your bookkeeping records by a technician following a process. The difference shows up in the accuracy of the accounting judgements, the completeness of the tax reliefs claimed, the quality of the explanations provided to you as a director, and the confidence with which your accounts can be presented to any external party.
At Hulljady, every set of accounts is reviewed by a qualified chartered accountant before it leaves the office. Not a junior, not an offshore processor, not a software algorithm — a qualified professional who understands your business, knows your industry, and takes responsibility for the quality of the output.
- Every set of accounts reviewed by a qualified ICAEW chartered accountant
- Tax computation reviewed for every available relief before filing
- Accounts explained to directors in plain language — you know what you are signing
- Filing managed directly — Companies House and HMRC submissions handled end-to-end
- Tax liability communicated in advance — no surprises when the payment falls due
- Accounts feed seamlessly into ongoing management accounts and tax planning
COMMON QUESTIONS
Accounts & Corporation Tax — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between my Companies House accounts and my HMRC tax return?
Your Companies House accounts are statutory financial statements — a profit and loss account, balance sheet, and notes — that provide information about your company's financial position and performance. They are publicly available on the Companies House register. Your HMRC corporation tax return (CT600) is a tax document that calculates your corporation tax liability based on your accounting profit, adjusted for items that are treated differently for tax purposes — such as depreciation being replaced by capital allowances, and certain expenses being disallowable. The two documents are related but separate — filed at different places, on different deadlines, and serving different purposes. Hulljady prepares and files both as part of the same engagement.
What is FRS 102 and does my company need to comply with it?
FRS 102 is the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland — the accounting framework under which most UK limited companies prepare their accounts. Small companies can use a simplified version — FRS 102 Section 1A — with reduced disclosure requirements. Micro-entities can use FRS 105, which has even simpler requirements. The appropriate standard depends on your company's size and any specific requirements from lenders or investors. Hulljady advises on the most appropriate framework for every client and prepares accounts accordingly.
Can I reduce my corporation tax bill by paying myself a larger salary?
Yes — up to a point. A salary paid to a director-employee is a deductible expense for corporation tax purposes, reducing the company's taxable profit. However, salary also attracts income tax and National Insurance — both employee and employer — so increasing salary beyond the optimal level quickly becomes more expensive overall than the corporation tax saving it generates. The most tax-efficient remuneration structure for most director-shareholders is a combination of a modest salary and dividends, with pension contributions layered on top. Hulljady models the optimal structure annually for every director client and adjusts it as rates and circumstances change.
What happens if my company makes a loss?
A trading loss in a limited company can be used in several ways — carried back against profits of the previous twelve months to generate a corporation tax repayment, carried forward against future profits of the same trade, surrendered to another company in the same group as group relief, or in some circumstances set off against other income of the company in the same year. The most beneficial use of the loss depends on your tax rate in different years, your expectations for future profitability, and whether you are in a group structure. Hulljady advises on the optimal use of every loss and ensures the claim is correctly made in the corporation tax return.
Do I need to file a corporation tax return if my company made no profit?
Yes — every active limited company must file a corporation tax return for each accounting period, regardless of whether it made a profit, broke even, or made a loss. A loss-making company still has a filing obligation. A dormant company that has never traded may be able to apply to HMRC for confirmation that no return is required, but this must be formally agreed — it cannot simply be assumed. Failing to file a corporation tax return on time, even for a loss-making period, results in automatic penalties that accumulate the longer the return remains outstanding.
How far in advance can I find out what my corporation tax bill will be?
Hulljady aims to provide every client with a corporation tax estimate as soon as the year-end figures are sufficiently clear — typically within two to four weeks of your year-end where we are managing your bookkeeping in real time, or within four to six weeks of receiving your year-end records where bookkeeping is managed elsewhere. The estimate is provided in advance of the nine-month-plus-one-day payment deadline so you have time to plan the payment. A final, precise figure is confirmed when the full tax computation is complete, shortly before filing. We do not leave clients discovering their tax liability at the same time the payment falls due.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Accounts filed. Tax minimised. No surprises.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our chartered accountants. We will review your current accounts and corporation tax position, identify any planning opportunities, and give you a fixed-price quote for taking the whole process off your hands — from bookkeeping to filed accounts to paid tax.