Key Changes from 1 April 2026:
- HMRC will close its free online filing service for Corporation Tax Returns (CT600).
- Companies House will stop accepting free online submissions for company accounts.
- All company filings (CT600 + accounts) must be done via commercial software.
Why Is It Changing?
- Due to increased complexity in returns, commercial software provides more guidance and validation tools.
- It helps improve accuracy and reduce filing errors.
- Many products include deadline reminders to reduce late penalties.
What Should You Do Before April 2026?
- Download and save your past 3 years of CT600 returns and company accounts from the HMRC portal.
- Choose a new compatible software provider and begin the transition early.
How to Save Your Previous Filings:
- Go to “Track Your Submissions” on HMRC online;
- Select the tax year you want to download;
- Click on either “HMRC” or “Companies House” submission link;
- On the filing summary page, click “Save your return in HTML”;
- Save the file to your device.
Free or Low-Cost Filing Options:
| Software | Type | Features | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxfiler (IRIS) | Commercial | CT600 + Company Accounts + XBRL | ~£10/month |
| BTCSoftware | Commercial | Full-featured tax platform | From ~£200/year |
| GoSimpleTax | Personal | For sole traders/self-assessment | Free + Pro Plans |
| TaxCalc | Commercial | Trusted by many UK accountants | ~£300/year |
| Nomisma | Cloud-Based | CT600 and account filing | Free trial avail. |
| HMRC Software List | Official | List of approved software | View Here |
👥 If You Use an Accountant:
- If your accountant or agent (e.g. Perrys) handles your returns using compliant software, no action is required.
- If you previously filed on your own, start exploring alternatives now.
This is all a nightmare. We do not use computers for accounts, never have, never will. Our company accounts fit at most 12 sides of standard analysis sheets. We reduced our turnover deliberately to escape MTD for VAT – but CT600 is compulsory. All I want is what I had from HMRC – we do all our accounts ON PAPER – and print off the end of year accounts. Then all I did was to populate the online forms and it was done in less than 15 minutes. Are there any replacements for this. I do not want computerised accounts which all look horridly complex with loads of stuff I don’t need; but I do need to file a CT600 which I was quite happy to populate online manually. Any suggestions?