Dormant company accounts, prepared and filed every year.
Set up a company for your shop but not selling yet, or paused between ranges? We prepare the dormant accounts for Companies House and deal with what HMRC asks for, and you approve them before we file. £99 a year.
- Accounts due 9 months after year end
- Confirmation statement every year
- £99 a year
In short
A company is usually dormant for Corporation Tax if it is not trading and has no other income. You do not pay Corporation Tax or file another Company Tax Return once you have told HMRC it is dormant, unless HMRC sends a further notice to deliver a Company Tax Return. Every dormant limited company still files annual accounts and a confirmation statement with Companies House.
Not trading, and no other income.
GOV.UK says your company is usually dormant for Corporation Tax if it has stopped trading and has no other income, for example investments, or if it is a new limited company that has not started trading.
- Trading includes buying, selling, renting property, advertising, employing someone or getting interest
- Running ads before your shop launches is advertising, which GOV.UK lists as trading
- HMRC may write to say it is treating your company as dormant, with no Corporation Tax to pay or Company Tax Returns to file
- If your company has stopped trading and has no other income, you can tell HMRC it is dormant
When HMRC has sent a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return.
If you have filed a Company Tax Return or had a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return, GOV.UK says you will still need to file a Company Tax Return online. That return shows HMRC your company is dormant for the period.
Once you have told HMRC your company is dormant, you do not need to pay Corporation Tax or file another Company Tax Return, unless you receive a further notice to deliver a Company Tax Return.
We check which applies to your company before we quote, so you file only what HMRC has asked for.
Accounts and a confirmation statement, every year.
Your limited company files a confirmation statement and annual accounts with Companies House even while it is dormant. Companies House calls a company dormant if it has had no significant transactions in the financial year.
- Significant transactions do not include Companies House filing fees
- Or penalties for filing accounts late
- Or money paid for shares when the company was incorporated
- A company that is dormant for Companies House and qualifies as small can file dormant accounts, without an auditor's report
| What | Deadline |
|---|---|
| First accounts | 21 months after the company registered with Companies House |
| Annual accounts after that | 9 months after the financial year ends |
| Confirmation statement | At least once a year · Companies House online fee £50 |
Registered for VAT or running payroll?
- Not planning to trade again: deregister for VAT within 30 days of the company becoming dormant
- Planning to restart: send nil VAT returns while the company is dormant
- Employing people and not restarting this tax year: close your PAYE scheme
Starting to sell again? You do not need to tell Companies House. Your next non-dormant accounts show the company is trading, and we can move you onto a monthly plan from £89 a month.
Dormant accounts carry the same late penalties.
| How late | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 month | £150 |
| 1 to 3 months | £375 |
| 3 to 6 months | £750 |
| More than 6 months | £1,500 |
The penalty doubles if accounts are late 2 years in a row, and a company can be fined and struck off if it does not send its accounts or confirmation statement. GOV.UK lists a dormant company among the cases where an appeal against a late-filing penalty may not succeed.
One price for the year.
Started selling? Your company is no longer dormant, and Starter at £89 a month covers your books, year-end accounts and CT600.
Dormant company accounts
- Dormant accounts prepared and filed with Companies House
- The Company Tax Return showing the company is dormant, when HMRC has sent a notice to deliver one
- A check of your VAT and PAYE position while the company is dormant
- Your approval before anything is filed
Prices in pounds sterling (GBP). The UK VAT treatment of our fees is shown on your invoice.
Dormant company questions.
Answered from the GOV.UK pages listed under Sources, with the date we read them.
Does a dormant company file a Company Tax Return?
Only if HMRC asks. If you have filed a Company Tax Return before or had a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return, you file one online showing the company is dormant for that period. After you have told HMRC the company is dormant, you do not file another unless HMRC sends a further notice.
Does a dormant company still file accounts?
Yes. A dormant limited company files annual accounts and a confirmation statement with Companies House. A small company that is dormant for Companies House can file dormant accounts.
Is my company dormant if I am running ads before launch?
Usually not for Corporation Tax. GOV.UK lists advertising as trading, along with buying, selling, renting property, employing someone and getting interest. HMRC has detailed guidance on what counts as dormant, and we check it against your company before we quote.
Do I tell Companies House when I start selling?
No. The next non-dormant accounts you file show that the company is no longer dormant.
What does it cost?
£99 a year for the dormant accounts and, when HMRC has asked for one, the dormant Company Tax Return. The confirmation statement is £80, including the £50 Companies House fee.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Dormant companies and associations — Dormant for Corporation Tax · read 25 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Dormant companies and associations — Dormant for Companies House · read 25 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Company Tax Returns · read 25 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Accounts and tax returns for private limited companies · read 25 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Annual accounts — Penalties for late filing · read 25 Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Companies House fees · read 25 Oct 2026
Tell us about your company. You'll get a price in writing.
A 20-minute call or a short email, then a written quote for your dormant accounts and anything HMRC has asked for.
A written quote before any work starts
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm UK time.