CT600 Tax Return Filing in Atherton — Prepare and File Your Company Tax Return with HMRC

A CT600 is the form HMRC uses for a Company Tax Return. It is the document through which a company reports its Corporation Tax position for an accounting period, including details of income, allowable deductions and the resulting taxable profit, along with any Corporation Tax that is due. The CT600 is submitted to HMRC rather than to Companies House, and it is accompanied by the supporting information HMRC requires, such as the tax computation and, in many cases, a copy of the accounts.

Generally, a company needs to file a Company Tax Return if HMRC has issued a notice to deliver one, and companies are commonly expected to file for each accounting period during which they were trading or otherwise within the charge to Corporation Tax. Being dormant for a period does not automatically remove the requirement if HMRC has asked for a return, though dormant companies may have a simpler position to report. Because filing obligations depend on the individual company's circumstances and any notices received from HMRC, it is worth checking your own position rather than assuming a blanket rule applies.

Yes, they are two separate filings with two different recipients. Statutory accounts are prepared under an accounting framework and filed with Companies House, while the CT600 is a Company Tax Return filed with HMRC to report the Corporation Tax position. The accounts usually provide the starting figures for the tax return, but the CT600 also includes tax-specific information, such as the Corporation Tax computation, that does not appear in the statutory accounts. Filing one does not satisfy the requirement to file the other.

They are closely related but not the same thing. The Corporation Tax computation is the working document that starts from the accounting profit shown in the accounts and applies the necessary tax adjustments — adding back expenditure that is not allowable for tax, deducting items that are treated differently for tax purposes, and applying any available reliefs — to arrive at taxable profit and the resulting Corporation Tax liability. The CT600 is the actual return submitted to HMRC, and the computation sits behind it as the supporting calculation that explains how the figures were reached.

A company that operates as a micro-entity uses a simplified accounting framework for its accounts, but there is no separate micro-entity version of the Company Tax Return. Where HMRC requires a return, the company files the standard CT600. Whether a return is required depends on the company's circumstances and any notice HMRC has issued, and whether Corporation Tax is actually payable depends on the company's taxable profit. It is quite possible for a small company to have a filing obligation while having no Corporation Tax to pay — filing the return and paying the tax are separate matters.

As a starting point, you will need the company's accounting records and a set of accounts for the accounting period, covering income, expenses, assets and liabilities. From there, details of any items that need special tax treatment are relevant, such as disallowable expenses, capital expenditure, losses brought forward, and any reliefs the company wishes to claim. You will also need the company's registration details, the accounting period dates, and information about any tax already paid. Well-organised records throughout the year make the CT600 Tax Return Filing process considerably smoother than reconstructing everything after the year end.

The calculation begins with the accounting profit reported in the company's accounts and adjusts it to reflect tax rules rather than accounting rules. Items that were deducted in the accounts but are not allowable for tax are typically added back, while certain deductions, reliefs and capital allowances may be claimed to reduce the figure. The result is the company's taxable profit, on which any Corporation Tax liability is based. Because the adjustments depend on the company's particular transactions, the taxable profit can be higher or lower than the accounting profit, and occasionally the two can point to very different conclusions about whether tax is due.

Yes. A company can appoint an accountant or tax agent to prepare the CT600 and submit it to HMRC on its behalf, and the agent can correspond with HMRC in relation to the return. The company itself remains responsible for the accuracy of the information provided and for meeting its obligations. Working with an agent is often a practical option for directors who want the computations checked properly, the tax adjustments reviewed, and the filing handled without having to navigate HMRC's systems themselves.