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

A CT600 is the form HMRC uses for a Company Tax Return. It reports the company's Corporation Tax position for an accounting period, setting out information such as the company's income, allowable expenses and the tax position that follows from the calculation, along with other details HMRC asks for. It is submitted to HMRC – not to Companies House – and it exists alongside, but separately from, the statutory accounts a company prepares for its members and files at Companies House. Our CT600 Tax Return Filing service covers the whole process, from gathering the figures through to submitting the return.

A company needs to file a CT600 where it is within the scope of Corporation Tax and HMRC has issued a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return. In practice this covers most limited companies, but the exact position depends on the company's own circumstances. Where HMRC has issued a notice, the return is still required even if no Corporation Tax turns out to be payable for the period. Because the rules and notice arrangements vary between companies, it is worth checking your specific situation – something we can help with as part of CT600 Tax Return Filing in Rye.

Yes, they are two separate filings with two different purposes and two different recipients. Statutory accounts are prepared under the company's chosen accounting framework, approved by the directors and filed at Companies House. The CT600 is a tax return submitted to HMRC to report the company's Corporation Tax position. The figures from the accounts often feed into the Corporation Tax calculation, but the accounts themselves do not determine the company's Corporation Tax liability – that depends on the tax computation, which may involve adjustments to the accounting figures.

No, although the two work closely together. The Corporation Tax computation is the working paper that starts with the accounting profit and applies the necessary tax adjustments to arrive at the taxable profit and the resulting Corporation Tax position. The CT600 is the return form on which the outcome is reported to HMRC. In practice the computation supports the figures entered on the CT600, so both are part of Corporation Tax filing and both need to be prepared carefully.

Possibly, depending on its circumstances. Being a micro-entity is about how the statutory accounts are prepared and which reporting framework applies – it is not, in itself, a Corporation Tax exemption. A micro-entity company may still be within the scope of Corporation Tax and, where HMRC has issued a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return, must submit a CT600. Equally, not every micro-entity will owe Corporation Tax: whether any tax is payable depends on the company's taxable position for the period. It also helps to keep in mind that filing the CT600 and paying any Corporation Tax due are separate obligations, so completing one does not automatically discharge the other.

We usually ask for the company's accounting records for the period, including the profit and loss account, balance sheet and supporting detail for income and expenses. Useful extras include information about any expenditure that may need to be added back or treated differently for tax, any reliefs or allowances the company wants to claim, losses brought forward and details of any other income or significant transactions. Company identifiers, such as the company registration number and Unique Taxpayer Reference, are also needed, along with the previous return where one exists. If any of this is unclear, we can guide you through what is relevant to your company.

The Corporation Tax computation normally starts with the accounting profit shown in the accounts and then works through a series of adjustments. Expenditure that is not allowable for tax purposes may be added back, while items that are allowable, such as qualifying capital allowances or certain reliefs, may be deducted. Losses and other reliefs available to the company can also affect the result. The outcome is the taxable profit on which the Corporation Tax position is based. Because the adjustments depend on the company's own transactions and the rules in force for the period, we review the figures individually rather than applying a standard approach.

No – they are separate obligations. Filing the CT600 is how the company reports its Corporation Tax position to HMRC; paying Corporation Tax is a separate transaction that settles whatever liability, if any, arises from that position. A company might submit its return and have nothing to pay, or it might have a liability that needs to be paid independently of the filing process. The timing and method for each can differ depending on the company's circumstances, so it is sensible to track both. We can help you stay organised on the filing side and point you towards what else may need your attention.