Doing it yourself

HMRC's free filing service has closed. Here's what to use instead.

The free government filing route is gone. Here's exactly what changed, what didn't, and the cheapest safe ways to file now.

6 min readUpdated 17 July 2026

The short version

What closed
The joint HMRC/Companies House free service closed to all users on 31 March 2026.
What's required now
Commercial filing software (or an accountant), for every CT600 and its iXBRL accounts from 1 April 2026.
Late penalties
Doubled from April 2026: £200 the day the CT600 is late, another £200 at three months, up to £1,000 each for repeat late filers — even when no tax is due.
What hasn't closed
Companies House WebFiling stays open for accounts until 1 April 2028 — the HMRC side is what needs software today.

What actually closed

For years, small companies with straightforward affairs could file their annual accounts and Company Tax Return together, free, through HMRC and Companies House's joint online service. That service — "File your accounts and Company Tax Return" — closed to all users on 31 March 2026. The government's own guidance confirms the closure and tells you to use commercial software, an accountant, or (in narrow cases) paper. It does not recommend a product. That's the gap this page fills.

What didn't close — read this before panicking

The closure is HMRC-side. Companies House WebFiling stays open for accounts — including dormant accounts — until software-only filing begins on 1 April 2028. You may read "2027" elsewhere: that was the original date, and it was pushed back to 2028 in June 2026, so a lot of older articles are simply out of date. What already requires software today is the CT600 and the iXBRL accounts that attach to it.

Your three options now

  • Filing software — £15 to £59 for a single filing across the market. Look for three things: it files to both registers (many cheap services file only the Companies House half, leaving the CT600 — and the penalty — yours); it shows you the exact documents before you pay; and it tracks each register's acceptance, not just "sent".
  • An accountant — £150 to £500 for a simple year. The right answer when there's genuine judgment involved: unusual transactions, doubt about whether the company is dormant, reliefs to weigh. Overkill for a nil return.
  • Paper — only with HMRC's agreement that you have a reasonable excuse, or for Welsh-language returns. Not a plan; a fallback.

The stakes rose at the same time

From April 2026 the CT600 late-filing penalties doubled: £200 the day the return is late, another £200 at three months, and up to £1,000 each for repeat late filers — charged even when no tax is due. Companies House penalties for late accounts start at £150 and climb to £1,500, doubling if you're late two years running. The free route closing is not a reason filings can be late.

The dormant-company trap in all this

The companies hit hardest by the closure are the ones that owe HMRC precisely nothing. If your dormant company holds a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return, that nil CT600 now has to travel through commercial software too — you can't file "nothing" for free any more. The alternative is telling HMRC the company is dormant so the notice is withdrawn or not issued; our dormant accounts guide walks through both routes.

How WrenTax does it

WrenTax prepares a dormant company's accounts and nil CT600 from the official register, shows you the exact documents before you pay, files to both Companies House and HMRC, and shows you each register's real acknowledgement — for £29, one payment. If a submission is rejected, you see the register's actual reason and refiling is free. General information, not tax advice.

Common questions

Do I still have to file if the free service is gone?

Yes — the closure changed how you file, not whether you file. Every active company still owes a Company Tax Return when HMRC issues a notice to deliver, and accounts to Companies House every year. From 1 April 2026 the CT600 and its accounts must go through commercial software (or an accountant using theirs); paper is only accepted with a reasonable excuse or for Welsh-language returns.

Did Companies House filing close too?

No. Companies House WebFiling remains open for accounts — including dormant accounts — until software-only filing begins on 1 April 2028 (a date pushed back from 2027 in June 2026). It is the HMRC half, the CT600, that already requires software today.

What does filing cost now the free service has gone?

From £15 to £59 for a single filing depending on the provider, or £150+ for an accountant. WrenTax files a dormant company's accounts and nil CT600 to both registers for £29, one payment, with both acknowledgements tracked.

Keep reading

Do I need an accountant?ReadFiling dormant accountsReadHMRC error 1046, fixedRead

This guide is general information about UK company filing, not tax or legal advice. Figures and deadlines are current for 2026; always check your own dates against Companies House and HMRC. Register data © Companies House.