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Company Tax Returns

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1. Overview

Your company or association must file a Company Tax Return if you get a ‘notice to deliver a Company Tax Return’ from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

You must still send a return if you make a loss or have no Corporation Tax to pay.

You do not send a Company Tax Return if you’re self-employed as a sole trader or in a partnership - but you must send a Self Assessment return.

Filing your return

You should file your return online.

You can only file a return by post if you:

Find out about filing company accounts and tax returns if you previously used the HMRC online service.

What it involves

When you file your tax return, you work out your:

  • profit or loss for Corporation Tax (this is different from the profit or loss shown in your annual accounts)
  • Corporation Tax bill

You can either get an accountant to prepare and file your tax return or do it yourself.

Deadlines

The deadline for your tax return is 12 months after the end of the accounting period it covers. You’ll have to pay a penalty for late filing if you miss the deadline.

There’s a separate deadline to pay your Corporation Tax bill. It’s usually 9 months and one day after the end of the accounting period.

2. Penalties for late filing

You’ll have to pay penalties if you do not file your Company Tax Return by the deadline.

Time after your deadline Penalty
1 day £200
3 months Another £200
6 months HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will estimate your Corporation Tax bill and add a penalty of 10% the unpaid tax
12 months Another 10% of any unpaid tax

If your tax return is late 3 times in a row, the £200 penalties are increased to £1000 each.

If your tax return is more than 6 months late

If your tax return is 6 months late, HMRC will write telling you how much Corporation Tax they think you must pay. This is called a ‘tax determination’. You cannot appeal against it.

You must pay the Corporation Tax due and file your tax return. HMRC will recalculate the interest and penalties you need to pay.

Appeals

If you have a reasonable excuse, you can appeal against a late filing penalty online.

You’ll need to complete the form in one go - you cannot save and return to it.

After you’ve completed the form, print it and send it to the address on the form.

You must file your Company Tax Return before appealing your late filing penalty.

Before you start

You’ll need: 

  • your company’s Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
  • the date on the penalty notice
  • the penalty amount
  • the end date for the accounting period the penalty is for 

You’ll also need to explain why you did not file the return by the deadline.

3. Making changes

You must usually make any changes (‘amendments’) within 12 months of the filing deadline.

You can:

HMRC may check for errors in your Company Tax Return.

HMRC may charge you a penalty for errors.

Making changes more than 12 months after the filing deadline

If you have overpaid Corporation Tax you may still be able to claim it back. You can find out if you should claim overpayment relief and how to make a claim.

If you have underpaid Corporation Tax you should tell HMRC using the online disclosure service as soon as possible.