Guides

Filing Accounts & Tax Return Together: What Changed

Q: Can I get my old filings back from the closed service?

They are no longer accessible through the service. If you saved copies before it closed, use those; otherwise speak to your accountant or HMRC.

Q: Do my accounts and tax return have the same deadline?

No. Accounts are due 9 months after your year end for a private company; the Company Tax Return is due 12 months after your accounting period end, with the tax payable at 9 months and 1 day.

Updated 9 Jun 2026

If you used to file both together, here's the short version: you now file them separately — your accounts go to Companies House and your Company Tax Return (CT600) goes to HMRC, using commercial software. This page explains what changed, why, and exactly what to do instead.

What was the joint filing service?

For years, small and unrepresented companies could use HMRC's free online service — sometimes called the "Company Accounts and Tax Online" (CATO) service — to file their accounts to Companies House and their Company Tax Return to HMRC in one go. It was free and convenient for straightforward companies.

What's changed?

The service closed on 31 March 2026. From 1 April 2026:

there's no free HMRC online route for the Company Tax Return — you file the CT600 using commercial software (HMRC keeps a list of recognised products);
you file your accounts with Companies House separately, currently by commercial software, the WebFiling service, or by post.

HMRC retired the service because it no longer kept up with modern filing standards and the wider changes to company law. If you ever used it, it's worth downloading copies of your past filings, as they're no longer accessible there.

What should you do now?

Two filings, two places:

File your accounts with Companies House. Check the deadline (9 months after your year end for a private company) and the right type of accounts — see company accounts.
File your Company Tax Return (CT600) with HMRC using recognised software, within 12 months of your accounting period end — and remember the tax is due earlier, at 9 months and 1 day. See company tax return.
Not sure of your dates? Use the Company deadline checker.

Looking further ahead: from April 2028, filing accounts with Companies House also moves to software-only (iXBRL), and the WebFiling and paper routes close for accounts — so commercial software becomes the standard route for both filings.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still use the CATO / joint filing service? No. It closed on 31 March 2026. There is no direct replacement that files both together for free.

Is there still a free way to file my Company Tax Return? Not online. Since 1 April 2026 the CT600 must be filed with commercial software; a paper return is only accepted where you have a reasonable excuse or are filing in Welsh.

Can I get my old filings back from the closed service? They're no longer accessible through the service. If you saved copies before it closed, use those; otherwise speak to your accountant or HMRC.

Do my accounts and tax return have the same deadline? No — they're separate. Accounts are due 9 months after your year end (private company); the Company Tax Return is due 12 months after your accounting period end, with the tax payable at 9 months and 1 day.

Would you rather just hand both filings over? See how we handle accounts and tax returns →