Companies House and HMRC are closing the joint online filing service on 31 March 2026.
Companies have previously had the option to use this service to file their accounts and Company Tax Returns at the same time with Companies House and HMRC.
From 1st April 2026, companies can file their annual accounts with Companies House using third party software, our web services or paper filing. However, businesses will need to use software to file your Company Tax Return with HMRC.
Why the service is closing
It is claimed that the service is closing because it’s outdated. It no longer aligns to modern digital standards, enhanced corporation tax requirements or changes to UK company law under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCT act).
Closing the service also aligns with other changes taking place at Companies House, as they implement further measures set out in the ECCT act and introduce new processes such as identity verification.
What you need to do
Companies House recommend downloading and saving at least 3 years of accounts filings for your company. You will not be able to access any previous filings on this service after 1st April 2026.
So start considering your software filing options. You’ll need to find a suitable software provider that can meet your filing needs for both Companies House and HMRC.
Find out more about what you need to do to prepare for the closure of the online service to file your accounts and Company Tax Return.
Moving to filing accounts by software only
In the future, businesses will only be able to file accounts with Companies House using third party software.
Although there are currently other ways to file accounts with, most companies can make the change to using software now.
Filing accounts through software claims to give businesses the greatest flexibility to showcase the financial data of the company. It can also provide a variety of functionality to support the running of a business. Many software providers offer a range of accounting packages to help prepare and file accounts – you can find software for filing company documents.
This future change supports Companies House’s goal of enabling a fully digital filing service. It will also help us to meet the priority to prevent economic crime and bring the UK in line with international best practice.
PAYadvice.UK 10/3/2025