CT600 Tax Return Filing in Farnham: Prepare and File Your Company Tax Return with HMRC

A CT600 is the form used to submit a Company Tax Return to HMRC. It reports a company's Corporation Tax position for an accounting period, including income, allowable deductions, taxable profit and the resulting Corporation Tax figure, along with supporting information required by HMRC. Think of it as the tax return itself rather than a set of accounts: the CT600 is filed with HMRC, while statutory accounts are filed separately with Companies House. For CT600 Tax Return Filing, the return is usually supported by a copy of the accounts and a Corporation Tax computation.

No. Statutory accounts are the company's financial statements prepared under an applicable accounting framework and filed at Companies House. The CT600 is a tax return submitted to HMRC. They serve different purposes, go to different bodies, and have different filing arrangements. Even so, they are related: the figures in the accounts are normally the starting point for the Corporation Tax computation, which is then reflected in the CT600. Preparing accounts and preparing a Company Tax Return are therefore connected but separate processes, and treating one as a substitute for the other can lead to problems.

Yes, they are different documents. The Corporation Tax computation is the working paper that starts with accounting profit and applies tax adjustments to arrive at taxable profit and the Corporation Tax due. The CT600 is the return that reports those results to HMRC. In practice, the computation supports the figures entered on the CT600 and is normally supplied alongside it. Good CT600 Tax Return Filing means the computation is properly prepared, clearly explained and consistent with the accounts, so the return tells a coherent story.

It can do, yes. Qualifying as a micro-entity affects how the statutory accounts may be prepared and how much is disclosed, but it does not exempt a company from Corporation Tax reporting. Where HMRC has issued a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return, the company will generally be expected to file one. Whether Corporation Tax is actually payable depends on the company's taxable position for that period, and a company can have a filing obligation without a tax liability. Because the position depends on the company's own circumstances, it is worth checking rather than assuming either way.

The two filings are separate obligations with different destinations, but the information is intertwined. The company's accounts form the basis of the Corporation Tax computation, so they normally need to be finalised before the return can be prepared accurately, and a copy of the accounts and the computation is generally submitted along with the CT600. Filing accounts at Companies House does not satisfy the requirement to file a Company Tax Return with HMRC, and filing a CT600 does not satisfy the requirement to file accounts. Both need to be dealt with.

Typically you will need the company's accounting records for the period, the finalised statutory accounts or a trial balance, details of income and expenditure, information about assets purchased or sold, any losses brought forward, and records supporting items that may need adjusting for tax purposes. You will also need the company's Unique Taxpayer Reference and details of the accounting period covered. The exact list varies from company to company, so a short review at the start of CT600 Tax Return Filing usually saves time and avoids repeated questions later.

Taxable profit starts with the profit shown in the accounts and then applies Corporation Tax adjustments. These may include adding back expenses that are not allowable for tax, deducting items that are treated differently under tax rules, and dealing with matters such as capital expenditure and available reliefs. The result is the taxable profit figure used to calculate Corporation Tax. Because accounting rules and tax rules are not identical, accounting profit and taxable profit often differ, which is why the computation is a distinct step within CT600 Tax Return Filing rather than a simple copy-and-paste exercise.

No. Submitting the CT600 is a reporting obligation; paying Corporation Tax is a separate payment obligation with its own arrangements and timing set by HMRC. A company can file its return on time and still need to arrange payment separately, and a company with no Corporation Tax to pay may still have to submit a return. Keeping the return figures, the computation and the payment records aligned makes the whole process far easier to manage and gives you a clear audit trail if HMRC asks questions later.

HMRC applies its own rules to late filing and late payment, which can lead to penalties and interest charges. The treatment depends on how late the return is, whether any tax remains unpaid and the company's individual circumstances, so it is not something that can be reduced to a single fixed answer. If you think a return may be or has become late, the sensible step is to get the information together and speak to HMRC or a professional as soon as possible. We can help you prepare the outstanding CT600 Tax Return Filing and regularise your position.