What are the Filing Requirements of a UK Limited Company?

Ryan Patrick

• 8 min read

After forming a limited company, you’re obligated to file different statutory information to Companies House and HMRC on an annual basis. It’s easy to forget or overlook these statutory filing obligations after registering a limited company.

All companies must make prompt filings to the registrar bodies to ensure they have the right details of a company. The information you’re required to report to Companies House includes income, expenditure, people running the business, assets and liabilities.

If you’re interested in registering a business in the UK, our guide will introduce you to the type of filings a company must file with Companies House and HMRC.

Important Statutory Filing Requirements for a UK Limited Company

Although you have a lot of paperwork to complete after registering a limited company, there’s no excuse for not filing statutory papers with Companies House and HMRC. If you’re on top of your game, your paperwork shouldn't be such a hassle. The main filings and reporting requirements are:

  1. Confirmation statement
  2. Annual accounts
  3. Corporation tax return (CT600)
  4. Employer returns (PAYE)
  5. VAT returns
  6. Event-based filings to Companies House

Late filing or total failure to file has serious consequences for a company.

The consequences include financial penalties and penalty interest, and in some instances, a company can be dissolved or directors prosecuted.

Thus, it’s crucial to understand what’s expected of you. Armed with knowledge, you can actively monitor your company paperwork to ensure your filing requirements are timely and correct. Let’s discuss each filing independently:

1. Confirmation Statement

The confirmation statement is a legal document that confirms whether the general information Companies House holds about a company is correct and up to date.

Thus, you must file a confirmation statement with Companies House annually, even if the company is dormant. Timely filing of the confirmation statement ensures the details of a company displayed on public records are precise and up to date.

The Information to Check and Confirm on a Confirmation Statement

The confirmation statement is recorded on form CS01. The details to check and confirm on the statement include:

  1. Company name and registration number
  2. SAIL address
  3. Registered office address
  4. Location of company records
  5. Personal details of directors and company secretary (where applicable)
  6. Details of PSCs in the company
  7. Main business activities (SIC codes)
  8. Shares trading status
  9. Statement of capital (issued shares)
  10. Shareholder information
  11. Company’s registered address
  12. Exemption from keeping any registers, like people with significant control

How to Complete and File Your Confirmation Statement

If all the above details (where applicable) are right and up to date on the public register, you confirm the information by completing and filing form CS01. To accomplish this, provide the information below:

  1. Company number
  2. Full company names include ‘Limited’ or ‘LTD.’
  3. Date of filing the statement
  4. Director’s signature or company secretary (if any)

If you fill out the confirmation statement on paper, you can send it to Companies House online or by post. Submitting the statement online costs £34, while submitting it by post costs £62.

To update your SIC codes, shareholder information, statement of capital, or shares trading status, you do it in parts 1 to 4 of the confirmation statement. However, you report other changes or update the information on different forms before the filing date or at the same time.

Even when nothing changes in the company, it means the information Companies House holds is correct. However, you still have to file the confirmation statement.

The first confirmation statement is filed on the anniversary of the formation, but it should be within 14 days after the anniversary.

In the future, other statements must be delivered to Companies House once every 12 months. However, a company can file throughout the 12 months as often as they wish to ensure the public register is up to date.

After filing the confirmation statement, Companies House updates the public register with the latest information about the company.

2. Annual Accounts

A UK limited company is required to file different forms, including annual accounts, to Companies House annually. The requirement also applies to dormant companies. Annual accounts report the financial activity of a company by the end of the year, even for dormant companies. The annual accounts you have to prepare depend on the size of a business or trading status:

  1. Large companies complete full statutory accounts.
  2. Small companies prepare simplified company accounts.
  3. Micro entities prepare micro-entity accounts, which are simpler than small company accounts.
  4. Dormant companies prepare basic accounts.

Companies House requires companies to send their first annual accounts within nine months after the company’s financial year. So, your first annual accounts will be due 21 months after the date of incorporation.

3. Corporation Tax Return (CT600)

After three months of trading after formation, a company must register online with HMRC for corporation tax purposes. Like the annual accounts, the company must submit a corporation tax return annually to HMRC (even after making a loss or it doesn’t owe HMRC corporation tax).

A corporation tax return is filed on form CT600 indicating the details of a company’s financial activity during the corporation tax accounting period. The form displays how much taxable income a company has generated throughout the year. Corporation tax on form CT600 is calculated after allowable tax reliefs and tax credit adjustments apply.

A company files form CT600 for its corporation tax return 12 months after the end of its accounting period. To clarify, the first corporation tax return is due 12 months after the initial accounting year.

When the Annual Accounts Go Beyond 12 Months

Typically, company tax returns must be filed annually. However, if the annual accounts span beyond 12 months, the company files two tax returns: one covers the first 12 months, and the second is for the remaining accounting period. Corporate tax returns can’t go beyond 12 months, but they can be shorter than 12 months, aligning with an accounting period.

Dormant companies don’t have to submit CT600, but they must contact HMRC in writing to inform them of their dormant status. Assuming the company is only dormant for some part of the accounting period, it must file a corporation tax return.

After a dormant company begins trading, it must inform HMRC and corporation tax must be filed for that accounting period. Corporation tax is paid to HMRC electronically before the statutory deadline, which is nine months after the accounting period.

4. VAT and PAYE Returns

Companies whose taxable income exceeds £90,000 must register and file for VAT; for companies whose turnover is below the registration threshold, voluntary VAT registration is available.

Companies with a workforce (including directors who receive salaries) must register for PAYE with HMRC. According to the Real Time Information requirements, all employers must inform HMRC of the payments made to workers and the deductions. Additionally, the company must file the full payment submissions (FPS) and employer payment summary (EPS).

Directors and shareholders who receive untaxed income, such as dividends, director loans, and expenses, must register for self-assessment and prepare tax returns.

VAT is the tax charged to VAT-registered companies on the goods or services they sell. These companies can also reclaim VAT on goods or services they pay for.

Besides other filing requirements, companies registered for VAT must complete VAT returns to HMRC quarterly online. The quarterly payments break down the amount of VAT due on sales and the reclaimable amount of VAT on company purchases.

The difference between the two is the amount of VAT payable to HMRC. Companies pay the VAT return at the end of the third month of the quarter for which the return is due.

Keeping Statutory Records and Registers for Changes

According to the Companies Act 2006, limited companies are required to maintain several statutory records and registers at their registered office address. Whenever the company's details change, Companies House must be notified so that they can be updated appropriately on the public register.

Why should I inform the registrar of changes in my company? Company information is stored on the public register, which is accessible to the public and government agencies, and it must be accurate and up-to-date. Hence, fulfilling your duty as a company ensures that Companies House's records are current and accurate.

Who is Responsible for Filing Requirements in a Limited Company?

Company directors are responsible for managing and filing the requirements of a limited company.  Even though some companies hire a company secretary or accountant, the directors are ultimately responsible. Late filing or failure to maintain filing requirements of a limited company can lead to severe consequences like:

  1. Financial penalties
  2. Director disqualification
  3. Company dissolution
  4. Prosecution
  5. Dissolution

Company Changes that Must be Reported to Companies House and HMRC

Directors have an ongoing legal duty to ensure the information on the public register is accurate and up to date. Besides official filing of statutory documents, they must report specific changes to the company to Companies House promptly. The changes directors must report when they happen include:

  1. Change of company name
  2. Change of registered office address
  3. Changing the location, updating, or setting up a Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL) where statutory company registers and other records are kept
  4. Appointing or removing a director or company secretary
  5. Details of a new Person with Significant Control (PSC) over the company. An update to the nature of the control they have over the company or someone ceasing to be a PSC
  6. Changes to details held at Companies House for a director, secretary or PSC’s
  7. Issuance of new shares
  8. Reorganisation of the company’s share capital
  9. Modification of the company’s articles of association
  10. A change in the reference date of a company

Each of these changes must be submitted 14 or 28 days after they occur. However, some changes, like a company's registered office address, take effect once Companies House receives an update.

Incorporate Your Company with Incorpuk Today

At Incorpuk, we will help you file accurate information when you register your company through us. We will help you with incorporation articles, a registered office address, and all you may need to register your company in the UK. Contact our team if you seek any information; we will gladly assist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Must all UK-registered companies file accounts?

All UK-registered companies must file accounts, and directors are legally responsible for this. The rule also applies to trading and dormant companies, which must file annual accounts with Companies House.

Is tax filing mandatory for UK-registered companies?

The majority of people in the UK pay tax through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and are not required to submit a tax return. However, you’re expected to complete a tax return by HMRC if you have other sources of income like self-employed profits, foreign income, or the state pension.

Is my UK limited company subject to an audit?

According to the law, all UK companies need a statutory audit. However, there are specific exemptions available on this rule, and eligibility depends on the size of the business for a subsidiary or the entire group.

In Summary

What are the filing requirements of a UK limited company? After registering a company in the UK, the filing requirements can be overwhelming, leading to late filing or failure to file altogether. However, lateness or failure doesn’t have to be your story since the consequences can be dire.

Company directors have a legal responsibility to maintain up-to-date company records, even in cases where there is a company secretary. It’s crucial to understand when to file what, where to file it, and how to make the filing to ensure your company information is current and accurate on the public register.

Some filings are due within 12 months after the date of incorporation, such as the confirmation statement. Others, like the annual accounts, are due nine months after the confirmation statement.

Any changes that happen in a company must be reported to Companies House as soon as they occur to ensure the public record is accurate and up to date. Therefore, whatever you do, maintaining up-to-date company records is a legal duty that can’t be overlooked, no matter what. Do you have any questions about the filing requirements of a UK limited company?  if yes, kindly contact one of our experts here.