Accounting for UK Limited Companies

Your company's year at a glance

The services follow the rhythm of the company's year. The exact timetable depends on your accounting period, your pay dates and the scope agreed, but the work usually fits together like this:

• Through the year: bookkeeping on the agreed cycle, with reconciliations, up-to-date records, management accounts and a list of queries for you to resolve.
• Each pay run: payroll prepared from the inputs you provide and approved by the company before payment, with RTI reporting support as agreed.
• After the year end: year-end accounts, Corporation Tax computations and the CT600 prepared from the company's records, then reviewed and approved by the directors.
• Companies House: accounts filing preparation and confirmation statement checks, with the director approvals needed scheduled in advance.
• Directors' personal tax: Self Assessment returns prepared for directors who need to send one, once their personal income records are available.

Year-end deadlines

Companies House accounts, Corporation Tax payment and the Company Tax Return each have their own deadline, set by the company's accounting period. Our annual accounts and Corporation Tax page sets out the usual timetable. Confirm your company's dates with HMRC and Companies House, and tell us about them when we agree the scope.

• GOV.UK: company accounts and tax returns ↗

Company and personal tax are separate

A limited company has its own obligations. The company's accounts, Corporation Tax and Company Tax Return are company matters, prepared from the company's records. GOV.UK lists directors' responsibilities as including keeping company records, preparing annual accounts, completing and filing the Company Tax Return and accounts, and paying Corporation Tax. Directors remain legally responsible for the company's records and accounts even when they get help from others.

A director's Self Assessment return is personal. It covers the director's own income and is the director's responsibility as an individual. Whether a director needs to send a return depends on their income and circumstances, and GOV.UK has a tool to check.

Keeping the two clearly apart makes both easier to prepare. Tell us about payments between you and the company, such as salary, expenses or loans, so they can be recorded and discussed in the right place.

• GOV.UK: Running a limited company: directors' responsibilities ↗
• GOV.UK: Check if you need to send a Self Assessment tax return ↗

How we work with directors

We start by confirming the company, its accounting period, the records available, the services needed and who approves each step. Each service is then scoped in writing, including the deliverables, timetable, review steps and any filing support. Fees are quoted in GBP after the scope is confirmed, and statutory filing fees and software subscriptions are identified separately.

Directors review and approve the accounts, tax returns, payroll and filings. Filing and submission support is provided only where agreed and authorised, and where the relevant access and eligibility requirements are met. Audit and assurance work are outside scope.

Records and access are exchanged through the secure channel agreed for your engagement, and work is delivered from Pakistan. Never send company authentication codes, Companies House personal codes, passwords or identity documents through the enquiry form.

For a first discussion, it helps to have the following to hand. The exact information list depends on the company, the period and the services agreed:

• The company number, year-end date and previous accounts and Company Tax Return
• Which accounting software you use and the current state of the bookkeeping
• Pay frequency, number of employees and pension arrangements, if the company runs a payroll
• Details of changes to officers, ownership or company information since the last filing
• Which directors need help with a personal Self Assessment return, and their main income sources