CT600 Tax Return Filing in Ponteland – Prepare and Submit Your Company Tax Return to HMRC

A CT600 is the form HMRC uses for a Company Tax Return. It is the document through which a company reports its income, allowable deductions and resulting Corporation Tax position for an accounting period. Alongside the form itself, a return will normally include a Corporation Tax computation showing how taxable profit has been calculated and, where relevant, a copy of the statutory accounts. The CT600 is submitted to HMRC, not to Companies House.

A company normally needs to file a Company Tax Return when HMRC has issued a notice to deliver one, and there are other circumstances in which a return is required — for example where a company has taxable profits or has had Corporation Tax dealings during the period. Whether your company specifically needs to file depends on its own circumstances, so it is worth checking your position rather than assuming either way. If you are unsure, we can help you work out whether a CT600 Tax Return Filing is required for your accounting period.

Yes. The statutory accounts are prepared in a prescribed format and filed with Companies House, while the CT600 is a tax return submitted to HMRC. They are separate filing obligations with separate recipients. Filing your accounts does not satisfy your Corporation Tax filing requirement, and filing your CT600 does not satisfy your accounts filing requirement. That said, the figures in your accounts often feed into the Corporation Tax computation that accompanies the return.

They work together but they are not the same thing. The CT600 is the return form itself. The Corporation Tax computation is the supporting calculation that starts from your accounting profit and makes the adjustments needed to arrive at taxable profit. Typical adjustments can include adding back expenditure that is not allowable for tax, deducting capital allowances, and dealing with income or expenses that are treated differently for tax purposes. The computation is what explains the figures reported on the CT600.

Being a micro-entity affects how your statutory accounts are prepared and what they disclose, but it does not create a separate tax return and it does not automatically exempt a company from Corporation Tax filing. A micro-entity company may still need to submit a Company Tax Return where HMRC has issued a notice or where its circumstances require it. Equally, being a micro-entity does not mean Corporation Tax is automatically payable — that depends on the company's taxable position. Whether a return is needed, and what it should contain, depends on the individual company.

As a starting point, we usually need your accounting records for the period, the statutory accounts if they have already been prepared, details of income and expenditure, information about fixed assets and any capital expenditure, and any other tax-specific items such as losses brought forward or reliefs being claimed. Company details, the accounting period dates and confirmation of any payments already made towards Corporation Tax are also helpful. The exact list varies from company to company, and we will confirm what is relevant once we understand your circumstances.

Taxable profit normally starts with the accounting profit shown in your accounts, but adjustments are usually required to arrive at the figure used for Corporation Tax. Expenditure that is not allowable for tax may need to be added back, capital allowances may replace or adjust the depreciation charged in the accounts, and other items of income or expense may be treated differently for tax purposes. Once those adjustments are made, the resulting taxable profit is what feeds into the Corporation Tax calculation. This is why the tax figure and the accounting profit can differ.

No — filing and payment are separate obligations. Submitting the CT600 is about reporting your position to HMRC. Any Corporation Tax that is payable is dealt with separately, and the amount due depends on your taxable profit and your company's circumstances. Completing your CT600 Tax Return Filing does not by itself settle any liability, and arranging payment does not by itself mean your return has been filed.

Yes. A company can appoint an agent to prepare and submit its Company Tax Return to HMRC, and many businesses choose to do so because of the tax adjustments and supporting calculations involved. Using an agent does not change the company's responsibility for the accuracy of what is filed, so it is important to work with someone who asks the right questions and keeps you informed. If you would like your return handled from start to finish, we can take care of the preparation, computation and HMRC submission on your behalf.