If you have just received a reminder from Companies House and are not entirely sure what you need to file, this guide will walk you through exactly what limited company accounts are, what the deadlines mean, and where most directors run into trouble. By the end, you will know what needs doing, when it needs doing, and how to decide whether to handle it yourself or bring in a qualified accountant.

Why limited company accounts matter more than most directors expect

Running a limited company comes with legal filing obligations that do not flex around how busy you are. According to Companies House guidance, all UK limited companies must file annual accounts each year, and private companies have nine months from the end of their accounting reference period to submit them. Miss that window and the penalties start immediately.

As of 2025, 44% of UK limited companies are single-employee businesses, meaning the director handles nearly everything personally. That concentration of responsibility is exactly why deadlines slip and filings get confused.

Where most directors go wrong with limited company accounts

The most common problems I see are not caused by dishonesty. They are caused by confusion about what needs filing, to whom, and by when. There are two distinct submissions most directors need to make each year, and conflating them is where things start to unravel.

Confusing Companies House accounts with the Corporation Tax return

Your annual accounts go to Companies House, and your Company Tax Return (CT600) goes to HMRC. These are separate filings with separate deadlines, and both are compulsory. Your Corporation Tax payment deadline is nine months and one day after your accounting period ends, while the CT600 filing deadline is 12 months after the period ends. Getting these mixed up leads to late payment interest on top of any penalties.

Leaving the bookkeeping until the last minute

Accounts can only be prepared accurately from complete records. Directors who attempt to reconstruct 12 months of transactions in the final weeks before a deadline tend to miss things, misclassify expenses, and pay more tax than necessary. Regular bookkeeping throughout the year means your year-end figures are ready when they are needed, not assembled in a panic.

What limited company accounts involve, step by step

The annual process for a small limited company follows a fairly predictable sequence. Understanding each stage means you know what to expect and what information to have ready.

1. Step 1 – Confirm your accounting reference date. Your company’s first accounting reference date is the last day of the month in which the anniversary of incorporation falls. All subsequent filing deadlines are calculated from this date, so knowing it precisely is the starting point for everything else.
2. Step 2 – Gather your financial records for the year. This includes bank statements, invoices raised, expenses incurred, payroll records if you run a PAYE scheme, and VAT records if applicable. If you use cloud accounting software such as QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Xero or Sage, your records should largely be in order already.
3. Step 3 – Prepare and file the accounts and tax return. Statutory accounts must be filed at Companies House within nine months of your accounting period end. Your CT600 and Corporation Tax payment follow their own HMRC deadlines. As a director, you will also likely need to file a Self Assessment return to declare salary and dividends drawn from the company.

For many small limited companies, the accounts themselves are filed as micro-entity or small company accounts. These are condensed versions of a full set of accounts, with limited public disclosure, but they still need to be prepared correctly and signed off by a director before submission.

Costs, trade-offs and what to realistically expect

One thing worth knowing: accountancy fees for limited companies are a tax-deductible company expense. The gross cost you see on an invoice is not the real cost once Corporation Tax relief is factored in. For many directors, the net cost of professional help is meaningfully lower than the headline figure suggests.

How to get your limited company accounts sorted today

You do not need to have everything perfectly organised before speaking to an accountant. Most directors I work with hand over whatever they have and I take it from there. The practical starting point is simply making sure you know your accounting reference date and have access to your bank records.

• Find your accounting reference date: log into your Companies House account at beta.companieshouse.gov.uk and look at your company’s filing history to confirm the date your accounts are due.
• Gather your business bank statements and any bookkeeping records you have for the period, then book a free introductory call at /contact to discuss what needs doing and what a fixed fee would look like for your situation.