How do I find my company's own key dates?

Two dates drive almost everything: your accounting reference date (year end) and your confirmation statement date. Both are shown on your company's public record — search the Companies House register for your company name or number and you'll see 'next accounts due' and 'next statement due' with exact dates.

Which deadlines apply to every company, even dormant ones?

Only two are truly universal: annual accounts (9 months after year end) and the confirmation statement (every 12 months + 14 days). Everything else depends on circumstances — Corporation Tax deadlines apply to active companies, VAT deadlines only if VAT-registered, payroll deadlines only if there's a PAYE scheme.

What's the single most commonly missed deadline?

For small companies: the Corporation Tax payment at 9 months and 1 day — because it arrives before the tax return deadline and no bill lands on the doormat; you're expected to know. Close behind is the confirmation statement for companies that stopped trading but were never dissolved.

Can someone track all this for me?

Yes — that's a core part of what an accountant does. We diarise every deadline for your company, chase you for what's needed well in advance and file on time. Call 0114 327 1480 if you'd rather never think about this calendar again.

The Director's Compliance Calendar

Limited company accounts and Companies House filing, in navy and gold

Deadlines tied to YOUR year end

Take your accounting reference date (ARD) and count forward:

Year end + 9 months — accounts due at Companies House (penalties £150–£1,500, automatic)
Year end + 9 months and 1 day — Corporation Tax payment due (interest runs from day one)
Year end + 12 months — CT600 Company Tax Return due (£100 penalty, escalating)

First year after incorporation is different: first accounts are due 21 months after incorporation, and the first period usually needs two tax returns.

How the accounts deadlines work in detail

Deadlines tied to your incorporation anniversary

Confirmation statement — every 12 months from incorporation (or your last statement), filed within 14 days of the review period ending. No fine, but it’s an offence and the classic strike-off trigger.

Confirmation statements explained

Fixed national dates (if they apply to you)

Monthly, 22nd — PAYE/NI paid to HMRC electronically (if you run payroll); RTI submissions on or before each payday
Quarterly — VAT return and payment, 1 month and 7 days after each VAT quarter (VAT-registered companies, filed under MTD)
31 May — P60s to every employee (including you as director)
6 July — P11D benefits-in-kind reporting; Class 1A NI by 22 July
5 October — register for Self Assessment if you need to file for the first time
31 January — director’s personal Self Assessment return and tax payment

Event-driven filings — no calendar, just triggers

Some things must be reported to Companies House when they happen, typically within 14 days: appointing or removing a director, changing the registered office, changes to people with significant control (PSCs) — and share allotments within a month. Dividends need board minutes and vouchers at the time they’re paid, not reconstructed at year end.

A sensible annual rhythm

Month 1–2 after year end: books to your accountant; accounts and CT600 drafted while the year is fresh
Month 3: approve and file accounts + return; diarise the tax payment
Month 9: pay Corporation Tax (already known since month 3)
Confirmation statement date: check the register, file, done
January: personal Self Assessment — painless if dividends were documented during the year

Prefer all of this handled — dates tracked, reminders chased, filings made? Call 0114 327 1480.

Everything we file for companies

The director’s compliance calendar