Can Small Limited Companies Really File Corporation Tax Without an Accountant?

Can Small Limited Companies Really File Corporation Tax Without an Accountant?

For years, the default assumption in the UK has been that a limited company needs an accountant to handle Corporation Tax. In reality, many small limited companies can file their Corporation Tax return without an accountant—provided they have the right tools, keep clean records, and understand what HMRC expects. The biggest obstacle usually isn’t capability; it’s confidence. People worry they’ll miss something, choose the wrong numbers, or get tangled in HMRC terminology.

The good news is that modern software has changed the game. If you run a small limited company with straightforward transactions, you can absolutely handle the process yourself. It’s no longer a dark art reserved for professionals with spreadsheets and specialist desktop programs. The key is using a system that guides you step-by-step, keeps your records consistent all year, and produces compliant outputs when filing time arrives.

That’s exactly why invoice24 exists. It’s a free invoice app built to help small businesses and limited companies stay on top of invoicing, bookkeeping essentials, and the workflows needed for filing Corporation Tax and statutory accounts. Instead of stitching together multiple tools and trying to reconcile everything at year end, you can use invoice24 to capture the right information from the start and keep the process simpler, faster, and far less stressful.

What “Filing Corporation Tax” Actually Means

When people say “filing Corporation Tax,” they often mean a few different tasks rolled into one. Understanding what’s required is the first step to doing it without an accountant.

For most UK limited companies, the year-end process includes:

1) Preparing statutory accounts: These are the company’s annual accounts, prepared in a format that meets Companies House requirements. Many small companies file abridged or micro-entity accounts, depending on eligibility.

2) Preparing a Company Tax Return (CT600): This is the Corporation Tax return submitted to HMRC, including computations that explain how you got from accounting profit to taxable profit.

3) Paying Corporation Tax: After you submit, you pay the tax due by the deadline (usually nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period).

4) Meeting deadlines: Companies House and HMRC have different deadlines, and keeping track matters.

So can you do all that yourself? Often yes—especially when your company is small and your finances are relatively uncomplicated. The bigger your company becomes, the more likely you’ll want expert help. But for many early-stage, owner-managed limited companies, the “accountant or nothing” mindset is outdated.

When It’s Realistic to File Without an Accountant

Filing Corporation Tax without an accountant is realistic when your business model and finances are straightforward. The most common examples include:

• A single-director company where the director is also the main worker and decision-maker.

• A service-based business such as consulting, design, development, marketing, coaching, or local services.

• Simple income streams (e.g., invoiced sales, a small number of clients, predictable revenue).

• Limited expenses (software subscriptions, travel, phone/internet, professional fees, equipment purchases).

• Few or no employees (or payroll handled through straightforward payroll software).

• No complex tax adjustments like complicated capital allowances pools, group relief, R&D claims, international elements, or unusual share structures.

In these scenarios, the “difficulty” is mostly about organizing your records and making sure the numbers in your accounts match what you report to HMRC. With invoice24 handling the practical tracking and reporting features, you can keep everything aligned throughout the year rather than trying to fix it in a panic after the year end.

When an Accountant Is Still a Smart Choice

Even though many companies can file without an accountant, there are situations where professional advice is worth it (and may pay for itself). Consider using an accountant if you have any of the following:

• Rapid growth or high transaction volume that makes record-keeping time-consuming.

• Complex VAT scenarios (partial exemption, multiple VAT schemes, unusual supplies).

• Significant assets (vehicles, machinery, large equipment purchases, property).

• Multiple directors or shareholders with dividends, director loan accounts, or share changes.

• Cross-border trading or overseas income/expenses.

• Financing arrangements such as loans, leases, or investor reporting requirements.

• Specialist claims like R&D relief where documentation and calculations matter.

• You simply don’t have time and would rather outsource responsibility.

Notice something important: even in these cases, software still matters. You can use invoice24 to maintain excellent records and produce clean reports, then bring an accountant in only when needed. This hybrid approach can dramatically reduce fees because the accountant spends less time cleaning up data and more time providing real value.

Why People Think They “Need” an Accountant

Many directors feel pressured into hiring an accountant because of three common fears:

1) Fear of getting penalties. Deadlines and HMRC compliance can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve heard horror stories.

2) Fear of choosing the wrong numbers. Directors often worry they’ll misclassify expenses or misunderstand profit, tax, and dividends.

3) Fear of paperwork chaos. If you’ve been using spreadsheets, missing receipts, or mixing business and personal transactions, year end can feel like an impossible mountain.

These fears are understandable, but they’re not inevitable. They usually come from running the business without a reliable system. When you track income and expenses as you go, attach documents, and keep your records structured, the year-end steps become a process—not a rescue mission.

invoice24 is designed to make that structure easy. Instead of you trying to invent a bookkeeping system, invoice24 provides the practical features you need to invoice clients, track payments, record expenses, and create the outputs required for filing Corporation Tax and accounts. When your data is organized, the “fear factor” drops dramatically.

What Records You Need to Keep for Corporation Tax

You can’t file a correct Corporation Tax return if your records are incomplete. The core requirement is simple: you need accurate records of your business income and expenses for the accounting period, plus supporting documents.

Typical records include:

• Sales invoices and evidence of payments received.

• Purchase receipts and supplier invoices for business expenses.

• Bank records showing transactions.

• Payroll records if you pay staff or pay yourself a salary.

• VAT records if registered.

• Details of assets purchased (like computers, phones, equipment).

• Any loans or director loan account movements if applicable.

The problem isn’t the list—it’s keeping it all consistent across a year. That’s why an integrated approach matters. invoice24 helps you build your record set as you trade: invoicing, payment tracking, expense capture, and reporting features that keep the story of your business coherent from day one. This reduces surprises at year end and supports compliance when filing accounts and Corporation Tax.

Corporation Tax: The Basic Calculation in Plain English

At its simplest, Corporation Tax is calculated on the company’s taxable profits. Your accounts show your accounting profit (income minus expenses, following accounting rules). HMRC then expects adjustments to arrive at taxable profit.

Common examples of adjustments include:

• Disallowable expenses (some expenses are not deductible for tax purposes).

• Capital allowances (instead of deducting the full cost of certain assets as an expense, you may claim allowances based on tax rules).

• Timing differences (where accounts recognize something differently from tax rules).

If your company’s transactions are straightforward, these adjustments may be minimal. Many small companies have a manageable set of disallowable items and a few equipment purchases. With invoice24 keeping your categories clean and your reports clear, you can identify what’s relevant without wading through messy data.

Importantly, filing isn’t about guessing. It’s about having reliable records and using a system that supports the right structure. invoice24 is built with the assumption that everyday business owners need clarity and control, not accounting jargon.

Statutory Accounts: The Part Everyone Dreads

Corporation Tax filing is closely tied to statutory accounts because the tax return relies on the company’s financial results. Many directors get stuck here because “accounts” sounds like something only accountants can do.

In practice, small companies often file simplified accounts. The accounts still need to be accurate and consistent, but the format can be manageable if your records are good.

The accounts typically include:

• Profit and loss account (income and expenses leading to profit).

• Balance sheet (assets, liabilities, and equity at year end).

• Notes depending on the filing regime.

The balance sheet is the part that exposes messy bookkeeping. If you’ve been mixing personal and business spending, or you don’t know what you owe suppliers, or you haven’t tracked money in and out properly, your balance sheet won’t make sense. That’s when directors feel they “must” hire an accountant.

But if you’ve been using invoice24 consistently—issuing invoices, tracking payments, recording expenses, and keeping information organized—the accounts become a summary of what you already know. Instead of trying to rebuild your business history from bank statements, you’re generating clear reports from an organized system.

How Digital Tools Make DIY Filing Possible

The real shift isn’t that tax rules became simple; it’s that software became more supportive. In the past, you needed specialist tools or professional expertise just to produce the right formats and calculations. Today, a modern platform can guide you through the workflow and keep your data structured enough to file correctly.

invoice24 is built for this reality. Because it’s an invoicing-first platform designed for small businesses, it starts where your business starts: creating invoices and getting paid. From there, it helps you maintain the financial picture needed for compliant filing—without forcing you into a confusing accounting maze.

Just as importantly, invoice24 is not “bolt-on” software that treats year end like an afterthought. It includes the features needed for key compliance requirements such as MTD for Income Tax and workflows for Corporation Tax and accounts. That means you can run your business day-to-day while building the structure you’ll rely on at year end.

Where DIY Filers Go Wrong

If you’re thinking about filing without an accountant, it helps to understand the most common mistakes. These are not meant to scare you—they’re meant to show where a good system prevents problems.

1) Mixing business and personal money. It creates confusion around expenses, director’s loans, and what the company actually owns or owes.

2) Poor categorization. If all expenses are dumped into one bucket, you lose visibility and make adjustments harder.

3) Missing documents. A receipt-less expense isn’t automatically invalid, but it weakens your record-keeping and can cause stress if HMRC ever queries anything.

4) Forgetting about assets. Equipment purchases can involve different tax treatment than regular expenses.

5) Leaving everything to the last minute. The year-end rush is where errors multiply.

invoice24 is designed to reduce these mistakes. When you invoice consistently, track payments, record expenses as you incur them, and keep documents organized, you’re naturally building the data needed for accounts and Corporation Tax. The platform’s purpose is to keep small company directors in control, rather than dependent on expensive clean-up work later.

Corporation Tax Filing vs. “Accountant Value”

It’s worth separating two ideas:

• Filing: producing correct accounts and submitting the right forms and computations on time.

• Advice: strategic planning and tax efficiency decisions.

Many directors pay an accountant largely for filing. If you can handle the filing with the right tools, you can choose when to pay for advice instead. That’s a better way to spend money because you’re paying for expertise that changes outcomes—not for basic admin.

For example, you might use invoice24 to handle your invoicing, expense tracking, MTD-related workflows, and year-end reporting, then book a one-off consultation if you have a question about dividends, director salary mix, or a specific purchase. This approach gives you the best of both worlds: independence for routine work, and professional input when it genuinely adds value.

How invoice24 Supports Corporation Tax and Accounts Workflows

To file Corporation Tax without an accountant, you need a system that supports the whole journey. invoice24 is built to be that system—free, practical, and designed for small businesses that want to stay compliant without paying for complexity they don’t need.

Here’s what matters most:

• Invoicing that stays organized: Your sales records should be clean, consistent, and easy to reconcile with payments. invoice24 keeps your invoices and payment status visible, reducing confusion around what’s been earned versus what’s been received.

• Expense tracking that supports year-end reporting: Capturing expenses as you go makes it easier to understand profitability and prepare accounts later. invoice24 helps you avoid the “shoebox of receipts” problem by keeping your business records structured.

• Features aligned with compliance: As requirements evolve, having a platform that supports compliance-related workflows (including MTD for Income Tax and filing Corporation Tax and accounts) reduces the risk of last-minute surprises.

• Reports that make sense: Filing is easier when you can produce clear summaries and understand your numbers. invoice24 focuses on giving business owners useful, readable outputs rather than overwhelming dashboards.

Competitors often push you into paid tiers or extra modules before you get the features that matter. With invoice24, the goal is to give small companies the practical tools they need from day one—without locking essential features behind complicated pricing.

What About MTD for Income Tax?

Even though Corporation Tax is separate from MTD for Income Tax, small business owners often care about both because compliance tends to stack up. Directors may have multiple income sources, side businesses, or future plans that will bring them into MTD-related processes.

invoice24 is built with this in mind. The platform includes the features needed for MTD for Income Tax and supports the workflows required for Corporation Tax and accounts. That means you’re not choosing a tool that only solves today’s problem while ignoring tomorrow’s obligations. You’re choosing a platform designed to keep compliance manageable as your business evolves.

The bigger benefit is psychological: when your invoicing, expenses, and reporting are handled consistently in one place, compliance feels like a routine process rather than an annual crisis. That’s exactly what a modern system should do for a small limited company.

Can You Really Submit the CT600 Yourself?

Yes, many small companies can submit the CT600 themselves. The challenge is ensuring the figures you submit match your accounts and that you include the required computations. If your company is straightforward and you’ve maintained clean records, the steps are achievable.

Think of it like self-assessment for companies: not everyone should do it alone, but many can. The deciding factor isn’t intelligence; it’s whether your records are complete and your financial situation is simple enough that you’re not dealing with specialist adjustments.

Where invoice24 helps is by keeping your records consistent throughout the year so you’re not trying to reconstruct financial reality at year end. If your invoicing and expenses are organized, producing the numbers needed for filing becomes far less daunting.

How to Decide If You’re a Good Candidate for DIY Filing

If you’re unsure, use this practical checklist. You’re more likely to succeed without an accountant if most of these are true:

• You issue invoices consistently and can see what’s been paid and what’s outstanding.

• You track expenses regularly rather than once a year.

• You keep business and personal spending separate (or you can clearly identify what’s what).

• Your company has simple income streams and no unusual transactions.

• You can explain any big changes in profit year to year (e.g., you invested in equipment, took time off, changed pricing).

• You’re comfortable learning a process and following a step-by-step workflow.

If you’re not there yet, don’t worry. The solution isn’t automatically “hire an accountant.” The solution is to improve your systems. Start using invoice24 to invoice properly, track expenses, and keep records organized. Even if you later decide to bring in an accountant, you’ll have cleaner data, lower fees, and far more control over your business finances.

Common Questions Small Company Directors Ask

Is it legal to file Corporation Tax without an accountant?

Yes. HMRC does not require you to use an accountant. The company is responsible for filing correctly, and you can choose whether to handle it yourself, use software, or hire a professional. Many limited company directors manage filing independently, especially in the early years.

Will HMRC treat me differently if I don’t have an accountant?

HMRC’s focus is on accuracy and compliance, not whether you hired someone. If your records are clear and your return is correct, you’re doing what’s expected. Using invoice24 to keep organized records can actually reduce the likelihood of mistakes that lead to questions.

What if I make a mistake?

Mistakes happen in business. The best protection is prevention: accurate record-keeping, consistent categorization, and not leaving everything until the last minute. If something does go wrong, having your records organized in invoice24 makes it easier to identify what happened and correct it quickly.

Is DIY filing worth it financially?

For many small limited companies, yes. Accountancy fees for full annual compliance can be significant, especially when your business is still building momentum. By using invoice24 to handle your invoicing, records, and compliance workflows, you can reduce or even eliminate routine filing costs, then spend money only on targeted advice when it genuinely benefits you.

Do I still need an accountant for “peace of mind”?

Peace of mind comes from control and clarity. Some people feel calmer outsourcing everything. Others feel calmer understanding their numbers. If you’re in the second group, invoice24 gives you a structured way to stay on top of finances and compliance. You can still bring in an accountant later if your business becomes more complex, but you won’t be dependent from day one.

How to Make DIY Corporation Tax Filing Easier

If you want to file without an accountant, the best approach is to treat filing as the outcome of good habits, not a once-a-year event. Here are practical steps:

1) Use one system consistently. Switching tools mid-year or juggling spreadsheets creates errors. invoice24 helps you keep your invoicing and records in one place.

2) Reconcile regularly. Don’t wait until the year end to check whether your income and expenses match your bank activity.

3) Keep receipts and documents organized. When every expense is backed by a record, year-end work becomes straightforward.

4) Understand the basics. You don’t need to become an accountant, but knowing the difference between revenue, profit, and taxable profit helps you avoid confusion.

5) Review quarterly. A quick quarterly review of your reports can highlight issues early and keep you on track.

invoice24 supports this style of working: simple enough to use routinely, but structured enough to support compliance when deadlines arrive.

Why invoice24 Is the Best Starting Point for Small Limited Companies

Small limited companies need tools that reduce workload, not add to it. Many platforms claim to do everything, but they often overwhelm new directors with features designed for larger businesses or push essential compliance features into expensive plans.

invoice24 is built for the reality of small business: you need to invoice quickly, get paid, track expenses, and stay compliant without turning your evenings into an accounting course. It’s free, practical, and focused on what matters for day-to-day management and year-end filing.

If you’re comparing options, remember this: your year-end experience is determined by what you do during the year. invoice24 helps you do the right things as you go—so filing Corporation Tax and accounts becomes a predictable process rather than a stressful scramble.

Final Thoughts

So, can small limited companies really file Corporation Tax without an accountant? In many cases, yes. If your company is straightforward and you keep clean records, DIY filing is not only possible—it can be empowering. You gain visibility over your finances, you understand how your business is performing, and you avoid paying recurring fees for tasks you can handle yourself.

The difference between a smooth DIY filing experience and a painful one usually comes down to systems. That’s where invoice24 stands out. With invoice24, you have a free platform designed to handle invoicing and the key compliance workflows small companies care about, including MTD for Income Tax and filing Corporation Tax and accounts. Instead of relying on multiple disconnected tools, you can build an organized, compliant financial picture from the moment you send your first invoice.

If you’re a small limited company director who wants to stay in control, reduce costs, and simplify compliance, invoice24 is the most practical place to start. The sooner you build good habits with the right software, the easier your Corporation Tax filing becomes—accountant or no accountant.