Filing your own company accounts? Things have changed.

If you’ve always prepared and filed your own limited company accounts and Corporation Tax return, you might have had a bit of a surprise this year.

For years, HMRC offered a free online service that allowed small limited companies to prepare and submit their annual accounts and Corporation Tax returns. It wasn’t particularly sophisticated, but it did the job, especially for companies with relatively straightforward finances.

Unfortunately, that service closed on 31 March 2026.

So, if you’ve always managed everything yourself, what happens now?

First things first. You can still do it yourself!

Just because HMRC has withdrawn its free service doesn’t mean you suddenly need to hire an accountant.

The main difference is how you submit your Corporation Tax return. From 1 April 2026, you’ll generally need to use commercial software to file it with HMRC. Your annual accounts are slightly different.

For now, eligible companies can still use the Companies House online filing service. However, that’s changing too. From 1 April 2028, all companies will need to use commercial software to file their accounts with Companies House.

There has also been quite a bit of discussion about requiring small companies to disclose more financial information at Companies House. On 23 October 2026, the government announced that it was pausing plans to require small companies and micro-entities to file their profit and loss accounts. For the time being, eligible companies will retain the option to exclude that information from their public filings, including after April 2028. The requirement to use commercial software from April 2028 is still going ahead.

If you’d prefer to read the official announcements, rather than take our word for it, here they are:

Hang on. Don’t I need different accounts for Companies House and HMRC?

Well, yes, in many cases you do. And this is where things can get a little confusing.

If you run a small limited company, you may be eligible to file a version of your accounts at Companies House that doesn’t include your profit and loss account. HMRC, on the other hand, generally requires your full statutory accounts, including the profit and loss account, together with your Corporation Tax computation and Company Tax Return (CT600).

So, even if you qualify to use the free Companies House filing service, that only deals with one part of the process. You still need to prepare the appropriate accounts and submit your Corporation Tax return to HMRC and, now that HMRC’s free filing service has disappeared, you’ll generally need commercial software to do that anyway.

Which rather diminishes the appeal of being able to file your Companies House accounts for free, doesn’t it?

If you’re unsure which accounts your company needs to prepare, have a look at the GOV.UK guidance for small companies and micro-entities.

So, what software can you use?

You’ve got several options.

Some software is designed for accountants who prepare accounts for hundreds of companies. Other products are aimed at business owners who want to prepare and file their own returns. If you’re only doing this once a year, you probably don’t need an expensive, all-singing, all-dancing accounting package.

Here are a few options worth considering:

Easy Digital Filing

Easy Digital Filing is designed with smaller companies and individuals filing their own returns in mind.

It provides software for preparing and filing Corporation Tax returns, including accounts and tax computations, with guidance to help you through the process. It’s worth investigating if you’re looking for something specifically for year-end filing rather than a complete bookkeeping system.

FreeAgent

FreeAgent is a more comprehensive accounting package that you can use throughout the year for bookkeeping, invoicing and financial records. It also supports annual accounts and Corporation Tax filing for eligible limited companies, although there are some situations it can’t handle.

One thing to bear in mind is that FreeAgent works from the transactions you’ve recorded throughout the year, you can’t simply enter your year-end figures into a set of boxes. So, if you’ve been keeping your books elsewhere and just want something to submit your accounts once a year, it might not be the most practical option.

Ftax and other filing software

There are other options too, including Ftax and a number of smaller software providers. Rather than giving you an enormous list of products, we’d suggest starting with HMRC’s own directory.

The HMRC list of Corporation Tax software suppliers is particularly useful because it identifies which products are suitable for people filing their own returns, rather than accountants acting on behalf of clients.

Companies House also has a separate tool to find software for filing company accounts.

Before spending any money, check that the software can prepare everything you need and submit it to the right places. Not every package does everything, and the cheapest option isn’t necessarily the best one for your circumstances.

Thinking of giving it a go yourself?

If you’ve successfully prepared your own accounts for years, there’s no reason you shouldn’t investigate the software options and see whether you’re comfortable with the new process. Just remember that software is a tool, it doesn’t necessarily know whether you’ve treated something correctly, claimed the right expenses or calculated your tax accurately.

And filing your accounts with Companies House isn’t the same as submitting your Corporation Tax return to HMRC. They have different requirements, even though they relate to the same business.

If you’re unsure what’s involved, the GOV.UK guide to filing company accounts and tax returns is a good place to start.

What if you’d like a little help?

This is where we can lend a hand. And that doesn’t mean you have to hand everything over to an accountant.

Perhaps you’re perfectly happy preparing your own accounts but aren’t sure which software to choose. We can help you look at the options and find something suitable. Or maybe you’d prefer someone to show you how to use the software properly, so you can carry on doing your own filings in future. We can help with that too; a little guidance now could save you a lot of head-scratching next year.

If you’d like someone to review your accounts before you submit them, that’s another option. Sometimes a second pair of eyes is all you need, although we’d agree exactly what the review would cover beforehand.

And, of course, if you’ve decided you’ve had quite enough of preparing your own accounts and tax returns, we’re more than happy to take the job off your hands. You don’t have to sign up for bookkeeping, payroll or a whole package of services if all you want is some help at year-end.

One final thought

Preparing and filing your own accounts can be a perfectly sensible way to keep costs down, particularly when you’re running a small company. But there’s an important difference between getting your accounts filed and knowing they’re right. Whichever route you choose, make sure you’re comfortable with the figures, the tax calculation and what you’re submitting.

And if you get stuck, or simply want to talk through your options, get in touch.

We’re always happy to have a chat.