HMRC and Companies House joint filing service to end

Does your business use the joint filing service for company tax returns and accounts? If so, we’ve some bad news for you: HMRC and Companies House have announced it will close.

What is the HMRC and Companies House joint filing service?

The online service currently allows you to file your company accounts with Companies House and your company tax return for Corporation Tax with HMRC at the same time.

While the service has been very convenient, it will be shut down permanently from 31 March 2026.

Why is the joint service closing?

A statement from Companies House gives a number of reasons for closing the service. These include:

• Not aligning with modern digital standards
• New and enhanced corporation tax requirements
• Changes to company law under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.

Companies House also points out that it is working to implement a raft of other measures demanded by the Act. These include introducing processes such as more robust identity verification.

What do I do next?

If you’ve been using the HMRC and Companies House joint filing service, you need to plan ahead.

Companies House recommends that you use the service to download and archive at least three years of accounts filings. This is because they will become unavailable when the service closes.

You then need to look at software that will enable you to file both your company accounts and your company tax return.

Software compatible with HMRC and Companies House

Once the joint filing service has closed, you’ll need to file your accounts and tax returns using compatible, third-party software.

In many cases, you should be able to find software that allows you to file both your accounts and tax returns. A good place to start is with this tool, which allows you to find software that lets you file accounts with Companies House.

For example, if you need to file unaudited small company accounts, you could use Xero to do this. If you want to file unaudited accounts for a micro-entity, both Xero and FreeAgent are compatible. We offer the latter to THP clients free of charge.

If you are a larger company, or you require a statutory audit, talk to our team today for advice.

Do I have to use software to file with HMRC and Companies House?

There are other ways to submit your company accounts with Companies House. However, it has a goal of enabling a fully digital filing service. Similarly, HMRC is moving towards ‘digital only’. Making Tax Digital will apply to Corporation Tax returns in the relatively near future. Given all this, it makes sense to find a software solution now that’s compatible with both HMRC and Companies House.

Is there anything else I need to do before the service closes?

HMRC has published guidance on what you need to do to prepare for the closure of the joint filing service. You can find it here.

It’s worth remembering that you don’t need to file your company accounts or your Corporation Tax Returns yourself. Instead, an agent like THP can do it for you, giving you peace of mind. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you, please get in touch.