Do I file a tax return if my company made a loss?

Yes. A loss-making year still needs a Company Tax Return. The return is what shows HMRC there's no tax to pay; it isn't optional just because the bill is zero.

Do I file if my company earned almost nothing?

Yes. Any active company files, however small the year. "Hardly anything came in" is still a return.

My company is dormant, do I file anything at all?

You skip the HMRC tax return once you've told HMRC and it's accepted you're dormant, though you may owe one final return for the run-up to going dormant. You still file accounts and a confirmation statement at Companies House. Dormant never means file nothing.

Is filing accounts the same as filing my tax return?

No. Accounts go to Companies House; the tax return goes to HMRC. They're two separate filings for the same year, and doing one doesn't do the other.

Does HMRC tell me when I need to file?

Usually HMRC sends a letter asking for a return once your company is active. You don't have to wait for it, though. An active company files either way.

Is the confirmation statement my tax return?

No. The confirmation statement is a separate Companies House job that just confirms your company's basic details. It isn't your accounts and isn't your tax return.

Do I need to file? | Simple Returns

The short answer

Have a limited company that did any business this year? You almost certainly have to file a Company Tax Return with HMRC. It doesn't matter if the year was tiny, broke even, or lost money. If your company was active, the return is due.

The only company that doesn't file a tax return is one that did absolutely nothing, and even then you have to tell HMRC, and you still file at Companies House. More on that below.

Why do I have to file even if I made no money?

The tax return isn't a bill. It's the form that shows HMRC your figures and works out whether there's any tax to pay. Sometimes the answer is "none". You still have to send the form so HMRC can see that for themselves.

So a loss-making year, a break-even year, or a year where you earned a few hundred pounds all need a return. "No tax to pay" is a result of the return, not a reason to skip it.

HMRC usually starts the clock by sending your company a letter asking for a return once it's up and running. That letter is your cue, but you don't have to wait for it to know the answer: an active company files.

Wait, isn't filing accounts the same thing?

No, and this trips up a lot of first-time directors. A normal limited company has two yearly filings, to two different places:

Accounts to Companies House. A summary of what your company owns and owes, which becomes part of the public record.
A Company Tax Return to HMRC. Your figures for the year plus the accounts, used to work out your Corporation Tax.

They cover the same year and use a lot of the same numbers, so people assume they're one job. They're not. Doing one does not do the other. You file both, on their own dates, within roughly a year of your year-end.

The good part: you don't have to keep two sets of figures or remember two systems. Both filings come out of the same year's money in and out, which is exactly what we put together for you.

What if my company didn't do anything this year?

A company that did nothing at all, no sales, no costs, nothing bought or sold, can count as dormant. A dormant company doesn't file a normal tax return. Here's the catch that costs people money:

You have to tell HMRC. They won't assume it. Once HMRC accepts your company is dormant, you stop filing tax returns until they ask again. If your company already had a tax return due, you may still need to send one last return covering the run-up to when it went quiet.
You still file at Companies House. Dormant is only "no tax return" on the HMRC side. Companies House still wants its yearly accounts plus your confirmation statement. If your company also counts as dormant at Companies House, those accounts can be a simpler dormant version. Either way, dormant never means "file nothing anywhere".

Holding a little doesn't break dormancy: some leftover share capital, or a small balance sitting in the bank, is fine. The test is activity. If real money moved through the business, that's trading, not dormant, and the normal tax return is due. If you're unsure which side of the line you're on, that's exactly the kind of thing we'll check with you.

A couple of plain examples

For example

Sara's design company, first full year. She invoiced £14,000 and had £9,000 of costs, leaving £5,000 profit. She files a Company Tax Return with HMRC (there's tax to pay on the £5,000) and accounts with Companies House. Two filings, same year's figures.

For example

Tom's company, a quiet year. He set the company up but spent the year deciding what to do. It made £0, spent £0, and never opened a bank account beyond the £1 share. Tom tells HMRC the company is dormant, so there's no tax return, but he still files dormant accounts and a confirmation statement at Companies House. If he'd taken even one £200 job, that's trading, and the full return would be due.

So how do I know which one is me?

It comes down to one question: did your company do any business this year?

Did any money move, in or out, for the business? You traded. File the Company Tax Return (and accounts).
Did the company genuinely do nothing? You're likely dormant. Tell HMRC, and still file at Companies House.

If you're not certain, you almost certainly traded. Even a small amount of activity counts. We ask you this in plain English at the start and take the right path for you.

General guidance, not advice. This guide explains how the rules generally work for small UK limited companies. It isn't tax advice for your specific situation, if you're unsure, check with us or an accountant.

Do I need to file a Company Tax Return?