Year-end accounting is a key responsibility for UK limited company directors, and going into 2026, the expectations around accuracy, timing, and record-keeping continue to increase. Whether you manage things yourself or work with limited company accountants, missing deadlines or submitting incorrect figures can lead to penalties, interest, and unwanted attention from HMRC or Companies House.
Strong limited company accounting starts with early preparation. This checklist walks you through exactly what needs to be in place before year-end, from deadlines and records to Corporation Tax and dividends, so you can stay compliant, organised, and confident heading into 2026.
Understanding your limited company year-end and deadlines
Your limited company year-end, also known as the Accounting Reference Date, determines when your filings are due with Companies House and HMRC. Knowing this date is essential, as each obligation runs on a slightly different timeline. Missing a single deadline can trigger penalties, even if everything else is in order.
Below are the key UK limited company deadlines to plan around for 2026.
| Requirement | What it covers | Deadline |
| Annual accounts (Companies House) | Statutory accounts filed publicly | 9 months after your financial year-end (first year may differ) |
| Corporation Tax payment | Paying Corporation Tax owed | 9 months and 1 day after the end of your Corporation Tax accounting period |
| Company Tax Return (CT600) | Filing the Corporation Tax return | 12 months after the end of the accounting period |
| Confirmation Statement | Confirming company details | Every 12 months, filed within 14 days of the review period end |
| Dividend paperwork | Dividend vouchers and internal records | At the time dividends are declared and paid |
For example, if your company year-end is 31 March 2026, your Companies House accounts are usually due by 31 December 2026. Your Corporation Tax payment is typically due by 1 January 2027, even though the tax return itself can be filed later. This timing gap is a common reason companies get caught out.
Deadlines can change if it is your first year, if you adjust your year-end, or if your Corporation Tax accounting period differs from your Companies House period. Always confirm your specific dates before year-end to avoid last-minute issues.
Getting your records ready before year-end
Before finalising your accounts or calculating Corporation Tax, your records must be complete and accurate. Leaving this until the last minute often leads to errors, missed expenses, or late filings. Reviewing everything early gives you time to fix issues and plan properly.
Before your year-end, directors should review and organise the following records.
- Income records: Ensure all sales invoices and income for the accounting period are recorded, including payments received near year-end and any outstanding invoices. Missing or duplicated income can cause discrepancies between your accounts and tax return.
- Expense receipts and costs: Gather receipts and invoices for all business expenses, such as software, professional fees, travel, equipment, and home office costs where applicable. Check that expenses are wholly and exclusively for business use, as personal or mixed-use costs may not be fully allowable.
- Bank statements and reconciliations: Reconcile your business bank account to confirm that transactions in your accounting software match your bank statements. This helps identify missing entries, duplicate transactions, or personal spending through the company account.
- Payroll and PAYE records: Review payslips, RTI submissions, PAYE payments, National Insurance, and pension contributions. Make sure director salaries and employee wages are correctly reported and paid to HMRC on time.
- Director’s loan account: Check whether directors have taken money from the company outside of salary or dividends. An overdrawn director’s loan account can trigger additional tax charges and should be identified before year-end.
- VAT records (if registered): Review VAT returns, supporting invoices, and calculations, especially if you use the Flat Rate Scheme or have partial exemption rules. Errors in VAT records can affect both VAT liabilities and year-end figures.
- Digital record-keeping compliance: Confirm that your records meet HMRC’s digital record-keeping expectations, including keeping certain records digitally and using compatible software where required under Making Tax Digital rules.
Getting these records organised before year-end makes the accounting process smoother, reduces the risk of errors, and helps avoid penalties or unexpected tax bills.
Planning ahead for year-end? Working with experienced limited company accountants can help keep your accounting accurate and your 2026 filings on track.
Preparing statutory accounts for Companies House
Statutory accounts are the official financial statements your limited company must file with Companies House each year. They are not the same as internal management accounts and are prepared in a specific format that meets UK accounting and Companies House requirements.
What you need to submit depends on your company size. Most small and micro-entity limited companies can file simplified accounts, but the legal responsibility for accuracy still sits with the directors.
- Balance sheet: All limited companies must file a balance sheet showing what the company owns, what it owes, and its overall financial position at year-end. The balance sheet must be signed off by a director, confirming that the accounts are accurate and prepared in line with the relevant regulations.
- Profit and loss account: Small and micro-entity companies are not required to file a full profit and loss account publicly with Companies House, but one must still be prepared for HMRC and for internal records. The figures in your statutory accounts must align with those used in your Corporation Tax return.
- Notes to the accounts: These provide context behind the numbers, such as accounting policies, director information, share structure, and any key disclosures required under UK accounting standards. Even simplified accounts usually require supporting notes.
- Director approval and responsibility: Statutory accounts must be approved by the board and signed by a director before submission. While accountants can prepare the accounts, directors remain legally responsible for their accuracy and for filing them on time.
- Dormant company accounts: Even if your company has not traded during the year, you still need to file dormant accounts with Companies House. Failing to file, even when there is no activity, can still result in penalties and potential strike-off action.
Companies House applies automatic late filing penalties, and repeated delays can damage your company’s compliance record. Making sure statutory accounts are prepared correctly and submitted on time is a core part of year-end preparation and should never be left to the final deadline.
Corporation Tax return checklist for 2026
Your Corporation Tax return shows HMRC how much tax your limited company owes for the year. It is submitted using the CT600 form and is based on your statutory accounts, with specific tax adjustments applied. Even if your company is small, mistakes here can lead to penalties, interest, or enquiries.
Before preparing your Corporation Tax return, make sure the following areas are covered.
Corporation Tax rates you need to apply
Corporation Tax is charged based on your company’s taxable profits, not turnover. For 2026, the main structure is:
- 19% for profits up to £50,000 (small profits rate)
- Marginal relief for profits between £50,001 and £250,000
- 25% for profits over £250,000
Your effective rate depends on your profit level and whether you have associated companies.
Start from your accounting profit, not your tax bill
Your Corporation Tax calculation starts with the profit shown in your accounts, then adjusts it for tax rules. Accounting profit and taxable profit are rarely the same. This is why year-end figures must be accurate before the tax return is prepared.
Allowable and disallowable expenses
Only expenses that are wholly and exclusively for business purposes can reduce your taxable profit. Common allowable costs include salaries, rent, utilities, software, and professional fees.
Some costs must be added back, such as most client entertaining, fines, or personal expenses paid through the company.
Capital allowances instead of depreciation
In your accounts, assets are depreciated. For tax purposes, depreciation is ignored and replaced with capital allowances.
This may include:
- Full expensing for qualifying plant and machinery
- Annual Investment Allowance (up to £1 million per year)
- Writing-down allowances where full relief is not claimed
Capital allowance claims directly affect your tax bill and must be included correctly in your return.
Looking for more detail on deadlines and penalties for limited companies? Check our full tax deadlines guide here.
Adjustments between accounting profit and taxable profit
Your Corporation Tax computation should clearly show adjustments such as:
- Adding back disallowable expenses
- Removing depreciation
- Applying capital allowances
- Including balancing charges if assets were sold
These adjustments explain why your tax figure differs from your accounts profit.
Losses and reliefs (if applicable)
If your company made a loss, or has unused losses from earlier years, you may be able to offset these against profits. Some companies may also qualify for specific reliefs, such as Research and Development relief. These need supporting calculations and should not be estimated.
Supporting documents for the CT600
When filing your Corporation Tax return, you should have:
- Final statutory accounts
- A Corporation Tax computation
- Capital allowance schedules
- Details of any reliefs or losses claimed
- Clear supporting documents reduce the risk of HMRC follow-up questions.
Filing and payment deadlines
Your Company Tax Return must be filed within 12 months of the end of your accounting period. However, the Corporation Tax itself is usually due earlier, at 9 months and 1 day after year-end.
Preparing this information before you start your Corporation Tax return makes the process far smoother and reduces the risk of late payment penalties or incorrect filings.
Dividend and director pay paperwork
Dividends and director pay are common areas HMRC reviews because errors often involve missing paperwork or incorrect profit calculations. Checking this before year-end helps avoid reclassification, penalties, and tax adjustments.
- Dividend vouchers: Every dividend payment must be supported by a dividend voucher showing the amount, date, and shareholder details. Vouchers must be created when the dividend is paid and kept in the company’s records.
- Board minutes: Directors should formally approve dividends, even in one-director companies, and record the decision in board minutes. These minutes show HMRC that dividends were properly declared at the time.
- Profit checks before dividends: Dividends can only be paid from distributable profits available at the time of declaration. Paying dividends without sufficient profits creates illegal dividends that HMRC may challenge.
- Dividends versus salary: Salary and dividends are taxed and reported differently and must be recorded separately. Mixing the two can result in underpaid PAYE, incorrect Self Assessment figures, or HMRC enquiries.
- Director’s loan account: Money taken by a director outside of salary or dividends is recorded in the director’s loan account. Overdrawn balances at year-end can trigger additional tax charges if not repaid on time.
- Illegal dividends and overdrawn loans: Illegal dividends and overdrawn loan accounts are two of the most common issues HMRC raises with small companies. Identifying and correcting these before year-end is far easier than fixing them after filing.
Because dividend and director pay issues often stem from late or inaccurate figures, they are closely linked to broader year-end errors. The next step is understanding the most common mistakes limited companies make before filing, and how these lead directly to penalties and HMRC attention.
Do you also need to file a Self Assessment return? Check our guide to the 2026 deadline.
Common year-end mistakes that cause penalties
Many year-end penalties are avoidable and happen because small but critical steps are missed. Below are the most common errors UK limited companies make before filing.
- Missing Companies House accounts filing deadlines
- Paying Corporation Tax late, even when the return is filed on time
- Poor or incomplete record-keeping
- Mismatched figures between statutory accounts and tax returns
- Declaring dividends without sufficient profits
- Missing or incorrect dividend paperwork
- Overdrawn director’s loan accounts at year-end
- Forgetting to file required Confirmation Statements
Companies House applies automatic penalties for late accounts, and repeated failures can lead to strike-off action.
When to use limited company accountants
Professional support becomes essential as your limited company grows or your finances become more complex. This often includes higher turnover, multiple income streams, dividend payments, VAT registration or scheme changes, and situations where figures must align accurately across accounts and tax returns. Dividends, director loan accounts, and VAT are particularly common areas where small errors can lead to HMRC issues if not handled correctly.
For directors who want confidence that everything is prepared properly before year-end, working with experienced limited company accountants can remove much of the stress and risk. eAccounts UK supports UK limited companies with year-end accounts, Corporation Tax, and compliance, helping directors stay organised and avoid penalties.
If your year-end is approaching and you want accurate filings without last-minute pressure, you can get year-end support from eAccounts UK.
Wrapping up
Year-end accounting does not need to be complicated when limited company directors know what to prepare and start early. Keeping accurate records, understanding key deadlines, and making sure documentation is complete allows you to approach year-end with clarity rather than pressure.
By reviewing your figures ahead of time, checking dividends and director pay carefully, and meeting Companies House and HMRC deadlines, you reduce the risk of penalties and last-minute corrections. If you want confidence that everything is handled correctly as you head into 2026, getting support from experienced limited company accountants can make the process far smoother and more predictable.
FAQs
When is the deadline for filing limited company accounts in the UK?
Most limited companies must file their accounts with Companies House within nine months of the end of their accounting year. First-year accounts may have a different deadline, so it’s important to check your specific filing date.
What happens if my limited company files late?
Late filings trigger automatic penalties from Companies House, even if the delay is only a few days. Repeated late filings can also increase scrutiny from HMRC and lead to further compliance issues.
Do small limited companies still need accountants?
Yes, many small companies use accountants to ensure their year-end accounts and tax returns are accurate and compliant. Professional support can also help reduce tax risk and avoid costly mistakes.
Can dividends be declared after year-end?
Dividends must be supported by sufficient profits at the time they are declared, not created later. Declaring dividends without up-to-date figures can result in illegal dividends.
Can eAccounts UK handle year-end filings for my company?
Yes, eAccounts UK supports UK limited companies with year-end accounts, Corporation Tax returns, and ongoing compliance, helping directors stay organised and penalty-free.
