A CT600 is the corporation tax return that every active UK limited company must file with HMRC each year, covering the profits made in the accounting period. It is separate from your Companies House accounts, though both arise from the same set of figures. The filing deadline is twelve months after the end of your accounting period, and the tax payment itself is due nine months and one day after the year-end. Missing either deadline results in automatic HMRC penalties, which increase the longer the return remains outstanding.

Corporation tax returns are priced based on the complexity of your company’s affairs. For straightforward limited companies, the CT600 is included as part of our Company Accounts and Tax Return package, which is priced at £250 as a one-off annual fee. That covers the P&L, balance sheet, CT600 preparation and computation, HMRC and Companies House submission, and a review of your tax position. For companies with more complex structures, investment income, group relationships, or R&D claims, we will provide a tailored quote before any work begins.

Yes, and it is more common than you might expect. We can work from incomplete or messy records, but we will need to bring them to a reasonable standard before we can prepare the accounts and CT600 accurately. We will tell you upfront if catch-up bookkeeping is needed and what that costs, so there are no surprises on the invoice. The alternative, filing on poor records, risks an incorrect return and a potentially higher tax bill, neither of which is in your interest.

No. There is no ongoing contract required for one-off compliance work. You engage us for the return, we do the work, and that is the end of it unless you want to continue. Many clients do stay on because the process is straightforward, but that is a decision you make each year, not one locked in on the first filing.

Yes. If HMRC raises a query on a return we have filed, we handle the correspondence. We will explain what they are asking, draft the response, and keep you informed throughout. HMRC queries on straightforward CT600 returns are not especially common, but if one arrives it is considerably less stressful when someone who filed the return is dealing with the reply.

Within the scope of what HMRC allows, yes. That means applying all legitimate deductions, checking capital allowances on equipment and vehicles, reviewing director remuneration structure, and flagging any reliefs such as R&D tax credits that may be available. We do not recommend arrangements that do not withstand scrutiny, but there is usually a meaningful difference between a return prepared carefully and one filed in a hurry. Most clients find the tax planning element pays for the fee on its own.