Limited company accountants for small companies
Running a limited company means filings for Companies House and HMRC every year, and pay for you as a director. We look after all of it for small companies, many of them trades that moved on from being sole traders, and we keep you up to date from your phone.
ACCA qualified accountants with over 20 years in practice
What a limited company files each year
Three things are due every year, and each has its own deadline. We keep track of them for you.
Accounts to Companies House
Your annual accounts are due 9 months after your company's financial year ends. The first ones are due 21 months after the date you registered with Companies House.
Year end accounts and Corporation TaxConfirmation Statement to Companies House
A check that the details Companies House holds about your company are right: directors, shareholders, registered office and so on. You file at least one every 12 months, up to 14 days after your review period ends.
Company Tax Return to HMRC
Your CT600 return is due 12 months after the end of the accounting period it covers, but the Corporation Tax itself is usually due 9 months and one day after the period ends. So the tax is due before the return.
Your duties as a director, in plain words
As a director you follow the company's own rules (its articles of association), keep company records, and make sure the accounts and the Company Tax Return are prepared and filed and the Corporation Tax is paid.
You also tell the other shareholders if you might personally benefit from something the company does. The company's money belongs to the company, not to you, which is the biggest change for most people moving over from working as a sole trader.
Paying yourself: salary and dividends
Most directors take a mix of salary and dividends. A salary goes through payroll, so the company must register as an employer and take Income Tax and National Insurance off it. We run that director payroll for you, even when you are the only person on it.
A dividend is a payment to shareholders out of profit, and the company must not pay out more than its available profits. For 2026/27 the first £500 of dividends is tax free, then dividends are taxed at 10.75%, 35.75% or 39.35% depending on your tax band.
The right mix depends on your figures, your other income and your plans, so we work it out with you on a call each year. To see how the numbers compare with staying self employed, try the sole trader or limited company calculator. It gives an estimate, not advice.
How we work through the year
Set up
We connect your business bank feed and accounting software and take over from your old accountant if you have one.
Through the year
Monthly payroll, VAT returns if you are registered, and CIS returns if your company pays subcontractors.
Year end
Accounts, the Corporation Tax return and your own tax return, gone through with you on a call before anything is filed.
Other things we handle for your company
VAT
If your company goes over the VAT threshold, or registers by choice, we look after registration and every quarterly return.
VAT returns and registrationCIS for a building company
A company that pays subcontractors files monthly CIS returns. A company that works as a subcontractor gets its CIS deductions back through payroll rather than a tax return.
CIS returns for contractorsBookkeeping
If you would rather not keep the books yourself, we keep them for you from the photos and files you send.
Related services
The tax rules on this page come from GOV.UK and HMRC guidance. Last checked .
Questions about limited company accounting
Do I need an accountant for a limited company?
The law does not say you must have one. But a company has accounts, a Confirmation Statement, a Company Tax Return and usually payroll to deal with each year, each with its own deadline, so most small company directors hand it to an accountant.
When are my company accounts due?
9 months after your financial year ends, or 21 months after the date you registered with Companies House for your first accounts.
Should I take a salary or dividends?
Usually a mix of both, but the right balance depends on your profit and your other income. We work it out with your own figures on a call. We do not give a one size answer.
Can you take over from my current accountant?
Yes. We ask your old accountant for what we need and pick up from there, so nothing is missed between the two.
Do I still need a personal tax return as a director?
Often, yes, for example if you take dividends over the tax free allowance or have other untaxed income. We check this for you each year and can file it alongside the company's work.
Get a quote for your company
Tell us a little about your company and we will send you a quote. Or book a free call to talk it through first.