The online accounts and Company Tax Return service, run jointly by Companies House and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), will close on 31 March 2026.
Companies House and HMRC are closing the joint online filing service on Tuesday 31 March 2026.
Companies have used this service to file their accounts and Company Tax Returns at the same time with Companies House and HMRC, but it will close in 12 months’ time.
From 1 April 2026, companies can file their annual accounts with Companies House using third-party software, Companies House web services, or paper filing. However, you will need to use software to file your Company Tax Return with HMRC.
Why the service is closing
The service is closing because it’s now outdated.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.
Closing the service also helps Companies House implement further measures set out in the ECCT act and introduce new processes such as identity verification.
What you need to do
Companies House recommends 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 1 April 2026.
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, you’ll only be able to file accounts with Companies House using third party software.
Although there are currently other ways to file accounts with Companies House, most companies can make the change to using software now.
Benefits of filing accounts through software
Filing accounts through software gives you the greatest flexibility to showcase the financial data of your company. It can also give you a variety of functionality to support the running of your business. Many software providers offer a range of accounting packages to help you prepare and file accounts – you can find software for filing company documents.
Keep up to date
You can sign up for Companies House newsletters to stay up to date with their services.
First published 11 March 2025
