Dormant company tax return software: file a nil CT600 online

Who is Taxley's dormant company tax return software for?

A UK limited company that was dormant for Corporation Tax for the whole period and has to answer HMRC's notice to deliver a Company Tax Return. Dormant for Corporation Tax means the company isn't trading and has no other income (GOV.UK: dormant for Corporation Tax). That covers a company that has paused and a new company that hasn't started trading yet.

Whether you need to file at all depends on HMRC. Once HMRC knows the company is dormant, the company doesn't need to file a return unless HMRC sends a notice to deliver one; if a notice arrives, you must answer it, even with nothing to pay. Our dormant company tax return guide explains the rules and the difference between dormant for HMRC and dormant for Companies House.

Dormant has a narrow meaning. A company earning bank interest isn't dormant for Corporation Tax, and an active company with no income files a normal return with zero figures — for that, choose micro-entity accounts (£44.50) or small-company accounts (£84.50) instead. If the company lets property, see filing a property company's return.

What does Taxley file for a dormant company?

A nil CT600 to HMRC, with or without dormant accounts. The return carries nil figures — no profit, no income and no Corporation Tax — and you choose what goes with it:

• CT600 only. No accounts are attached, and the return tells HMRC the company was dormant. Taxley offers this option only once you've marked the company dormant; it is the only case where it files a return without accounts.
• CT600 with dormant accounts. Taxley prepares micro-entity (FRS 105) or small-company (FRS 102 Section 1A) accounts with a balance sheet and no profit and loss account, as the tagged iXBRL files HMRC's systems read.

The price is the same either way. If the company has losses from earlier years, Taxley keeps them on record through a dormant year and carries them into the next return. Whether the company can still use them depends on the facts, for example whether the trade has stopped, so check this carefully.

Companies House is a separate filing, and you can file dormant company accounts there with Taxley: a dormant company must still send Companies House its accounts and a confirmation statement every year (GOV.UK: dormant for Companies House). Companies House WebFiling accepts accounts until 1 April 2028, after which accounts must be filed using software (GOV.UK: Life of a company – accounts). If your return includes dormant accounts, press “File accounts at Companies House” on the filing page once the return is paid, using the company's authentication code; there's no extra charge. Taxley doesn't file the confirmation statement.

How do you file a dormant company's return with Taxley?

In five steps, with no profit and loss to enter.

1. Start a return. Find the company on the Companies House register so its name, number and registered office are filled in, enter the accounting period, and choose Dormant under "What does the company do?".
2. Choose what to file. Pick CT600 only, or attach micro-entity or small-company accounts.
3. Check the details. Add the company's UTR. If you're attaching accounts, enter the balance sheet at the period end and answer the few questions the accounts must state, such as the average number of employees. The profit and loss step is skipped.
4. Review and pay. Taxley runs the nil computation, builds the return and checks it before you file. Previewing is free; you pay the one fee securely through Stripe when you choose to file.
5. Submit to HMRC. Make the director's declaration and send the return with the company's own Government Gateway user ID and password. Taxley uses them only to send that return and never keeps your password; the user ID is kept, encrypted, in the submission record. HMRC's response appears on the filing, and we email you too.

When the company starts trading again, "Prepare next year's return" carries its details and closing balance sheet into the next return. Our guide to what to do when a dormant company starts trading covers telling HMRC within 3 months and the first live CT600. The Corporation Tax glossary explains terms such as dormant company, notice to deliver (CT603), UTR and iXBRL.

How much does a dormant company tax return cost?

£9.50 per return, whether you file the CT600 alone or attach dormant accounts. With dormant accounts, the fee also covers filing them at Companies House. There's no Corporation Tax to pay on a nil return, and there's no subscription: preparing and previewing the whole return is free, and you pay only at the point you submit it.

You do need software or an agent: HMRC's own online filing service closed on 31 March 2026, so a nil return now goes through commercial software (GOV.UK: closure of the HMRC filing service). All plans are on the pricing page, and our guide to the ways to file a dormant company's return compares the options.

What doesn't Taxley do for a dormant company?

Anything outside the Corporation Tax return and the company's accounts. Taxley doesn't:

• tell HMRC that the company has become dormant — you do that yourself (GOV.UK explains how);
• file the confirmation statement at Companies House, or file accounts there when you choose CT600 only (that return has no accounts);
• file dormant accounts at Companies House on their own, without a CT600 return — Companies House's own online service accepts those;
• decide whether the company was dormant — you confirm that, and the directors stay responsible for the return;
• file for groups, non-resident companies, or companies in liquidation or administration.

If you're unsure whether any of this applies, do I need an accountant? sets out what filing it yourself covers.

When is a dormant company's tax return due?

12 months after the end of the accounting period it covers — the same deadline as any other Company Tax Return. A nil return can still be late: HMRC charges an automatic £200 penalty for a late return (£100 if the filing date was before 1 April 2026), even when there's no tax (GOV.UK: penalties for late filing). Dormant accounts have their own Companies House deadline. Enter your period end in the Corporation Tax deadline calculator to see every date.

Frequently asked questions

Does a dormant company have to file a Company Tax Return?

Only if HMRC asks for one. If HMRC sends the company a notice to deliver a Company Tax Return, you must file it even though the company is dormant and owes nothing. Once HMRC accepts the company is dormant, it may stop sending notices until the company starts trading again.

How much does Taxley charge to file a dormant company's return?

£9.50 per return, whether you file the CT600 on its own or attach dormant accounts. If you attach dormant accounts, the fee also covers filing them at Companies House, which doesn't charge for them. There is no subscription, preparing and previewing the return is free, and you pay only when you choose to submit it to HMRC.

Can Taxley file my dormant accounts at Companies House?

Yes, if your return includes dormant accounts. Once the return is paid and the accounts are finished, file them from the filing page with the company's 6-character Companies House authentication code, at no extra cost. Companies House WebFiling also accepts accounts until 1 April 2028. Taxley doesn't file the confirmation statement.

My company had no income this year. Is it dormant?

Not necessarily. Dormant for Corporation Tax means not trading and having no other income, such as bank interest. A company that was active but had no income files a normal return with zero figures, so choose micro-entity or small-company accounts instead.

What do I need before I start?

The company's 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), its company registration number, the dates of the accounting period, and a Government Gateway user ID and password with Corporation Tax added, which you enter when you submit.