For limited companies
Running a small limited company? Keep its books and prepare every filing in one place.
A limited company has a short list of things it owes HMRC and Companies House every year. standing.tax keeps the list, keeps the books, and prepares each return from them.
You can prepare everything now; sending to HMRC and Companies House opens soon.
A limited company's year, in four dates
- Every year's accounts after that: due at Companies House 9 months after the company's financial year ends.(source 1)
- Corporation Tax: paid, or HMRC told there is none to pay, 9 months and 1 day after the accounting period ends.(source 2)
- Company Tax Return: filed with HMRC 12 months after the accounting period ends.(source 3)
- You file at least one every 12 months, and up to 14 days after the review period ends.(source 4)
Add VAT returns if your company is registered for VAT, and payroll if it pays anyone. Our guide to which filing goes where puts them side by side.
What standing.tax does for a company
- Your company's deadlines with HMRC and Companies House in one place, and what each one still needs from you.
- An email reminder 30 days and 7 days before your accounts, confirmation statement and Corporation Tax deadlines.
- Annual accounts for a micro-entity, dormant or trading, drawn up from your books for you to read and approve.
- For a trading company, the Corporation Tax worked out from your books: the taxable profit, capital allowances on the equipment you list, losses carried forward, and the tax after marginal relief.
- Go through what Companies House hold about your company, item by item, and prepare the year's confirmation statement. Their fee is shown before you agree to it.
- The nine boxes of your VAT Return worked out from your records, for you to check in plain words.
One set of books, every return
Your bookkeeping lives here, so the same sale is in your VAT Return, your accounts and your Corporation Tax without being typed three times. When a VAT figure looks odd, you can open it and see the entries behind it.
A private limited company that doesn't need an auditor may be able to file the two together.(source 5)
Why software, and why now
From 1 April 2028, every company must file its accounts with Companies House using commercial software.(source 6) From that date Companies House close their web and paper services for accounts.(source 7)
Who it isn't for, today
standing.tax doesn't prepare accounts for a company too large to be a micro-entity, and it isn't for partnerships.
- There is nowhere in standing.tax to type a tax question. Where what you need is advice, it says so plainly: that's one for an accountant.
Questions people ask
Do I still need an accountant?
GOV.UK say you can either get an accountant to prepare and file the return, or do it yourself.(source 8)
standing.tax is software for doing it yourself, and it says where your company needs more than that. You can use both: the software for the routine work, an accountant for the judgement calls.
Is my company too big?
A company is a micro-entity if it meets any 2 of these: turnover of £1 million or less, £500,000 or less on its balance sheet, 10 employees or less.(source 9)
- Accounts for a company too large to be a micro-entity aren't something standing.tax prepares.
Where these rules come from
Each numbered sentence above is our plain-English version of GOV.UK’s own words, which are below with a link to the page they come from.
- 1.
“File annual accounts with Companies House 9 months after your company's financial year ends”
GOV.UK: Accounts and tax returns for private limited companies - 2.
“Pay Corporation Tax or tell HMRC that your limited company does not owe any 9 months and 1 day after your 'accounting period' for Corporation Tax ends”
GOV.UK: Accounts and tax returns for private limited companies - 3.
“File a Company Tax Return 12 months after your accounting period for Corporation Tax ends”
GOV.UK: Accounts and tax returns for private limited companies - 4.
“You must review your records and file at least one confirmation statement every 12 months. You can file your statement up to 14 days after the review period has ended.”
GOV.UK: Running a limited company: your responsibilities - 5.
“You may be able to file them together if you have a private limited company that does not need an auditor.”
GOV.UK: Accounts and tax returns for private limited companies - 6.
“From 1 April 2028, all companies must file their accounts using commercial software.”
GOV.UK: Using software to file your company's information - 7.
“From this date, our web and paper-based services will be closed for accounts filings.”
GOV.UK: Using software to file your company's information - 8.
“You can either get an accountant to prepare and file your tax return or do it yourself.”
GOV.UK: Company Tax Returns - 9.
“Your company will be a micro-entity if it has any 2 of the following: a turnover of £1 million or less £500,000 or less on its balance sheet 10 employees or less”
GOV.UK: Prepare annual accounts for a private limited company
