Do I Need an Accountant for My Limited Company?

There is no general legal requirement for a UK private limited company to appoint an accountant simply because it is incorporated. However, running a limited company brings accounting, Corporation Tax and Companies House responsibilities that directors must deal with correctly and on time.

For some very simple companies, handling those responsibilities yourself can be realistic. For an active trading company, however, the work can quickly become more complicated as transactions increase, employees are added, VAT becomes relevant or decisions need to be made around tax, salary, dividends and business expenses.

There is also an important exception to the general rule. Some companies are required to have their accounts audited, depending on their size, circumstances, articles of association or shareholder requirements. An audit must be carried out by an appropriately registered auditor.

This guide explains what a limited company director is responsible for, what you may be able to manage yourself and when using an accountant may make practical sense.

What Are You Legally Required to File?

As a company director, you are legally responsible for making sure the company’s records, accounts and required information are properly maintained and submitted. Appointing an accountant can help you manage those responsibilities, but it does not transfer the director’s legal responsibility to the accountant.

For most active private limited companies, the main responsibilities can include:

• Preparing and filing annual company accounts with Companies House. For an established private company, annual accounts are normally due within nine months of the end of the company’s financial year. Different rules can apply to first accounts. If you want support with this, Samsaad’s limited company accountants can help with year-end accounts and ongoing company accounting.
• Filing a Company Tax Return, usually including the CT600, company accounts and tax computations. The normal filing deadline is 12 months after the end of the Corporation Tax accounting period.
• Paying Corporation Tax, normally nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period. Larger companies and certain groups can have different payment rules.
• Filing a confirmation statement with Companies House at least once every 12 months, even if there have been no changes to the company’s details.
• Making PAYE and Real Time Information submissions where the company operates payroll. Samsaad’s payroll services can support businesses with PAYE, RTI submissions, employee pay and payroll administration.
• Submitting VAT returns and meeting the related VAT requirements where the company is VAT registered. Samsaad provides dedicated VAT returns and advice for businesses that need support with VAT compliance.

These responsibilities do not generally require you to appoint an accountant. The key requirement is that the correct information is prepared and filed accurately and by the appropriate deadlines.

Can You Do Your Limited Company Accounts Yourself?

In some circumstances, yes.

A dormant company or a very simple company with a small number of transactions may be manageable without ongoing accounting support, particularly if the director understands the accounting and tax requirements involved.

However, doing your own limited company accounts means more than entering income and expenses into a spreadsheet. Statutory accounts have to be prepared using the appropriate accounting framework, and a Company Tax Return involves tax computations that can differ from the profit shown in the company’s accounts.

Good bookkeeping also becomes increasingly important as the company grows. More transactions mean more entries to categorise, more balances to reconcile and a greater risk that incomplete records affect VAT returns, annual accounts or tax calculations.

For a company with only occasional transactions, DIY accounting may remain practical. For a company with regular sales and expenses, employees, VAT obligations, financing, assets or several shareholders, the amount of work and technical judgement involved usually increases considerably.

A Major Filing Change From April 2026

One important point for anyone considering filing a Company Tax Return themselves is that HMRC’s former online service for filing company accounts and Company Tax Returns closed on 31 March 2026.

From 1 April 2026, businesses generally need to use commercial software to submit annual accounts and Company Tax Returns to HMRC. Companies House continues to offer different filing methods depending on the type of accounts being submitted.

This means DIY filing remains possible, but directors now also need suitable software capable of producing and submitting the required information in the correct format.

What Does an Accountant Actually Do Beyond Filing?

Preparing annual accounts and submitting returns is only one part of an accountant’s role.

A good accountant should also help you understand the financial and tax implications of decisions you make throughout the year rather than only dealing with your records after the year has ended.

Depending on the company and the services agreed, this may include reviewing:

Director salary and dividends. Company directors who are also shareholders can receive income in different ways. The appropriate combination depends on the company’s circumstances and the individual’s wider tax position. Samsaad’s personal tax support for directors and shareholders includes support with salary, dividends and other taxable income.

Business expenses. An accountant can help review which costs may be deductible for Corporation Tax purposes and identify expenditure that needs different treatment rather than assuming every payment made by the company is automatically allowable.

Capital expenditure and capital allowances. Equipment and other business assets can have different tax treatment from ordinary day-to-day expenses. An accountant can review whether capital allowances or other relevant reliefs may apply.

VAT. If the business is VAT registered, or is approaching a point where VAT registration needs to be considered, professional advice can help ensure the correct treatment is applied to sales, purchases and VAT reporting.

Payroll and pensions. Once a company starts employing people, payroll creates additional responsibilities involving PAYE, National Insurance, RTI reporting and potentially workplace pension duties.

Tax planning. Decisions involving dividends, remuneration, pension contributions, investment and business expenditure can have tax consequences. Planning before the year end can sometimes give the company more options than reviewing everything after the period has already closed.

The exact advice will depend on the business. Tax planning should therefore be based on the company’s and director’s actual circumstances rather than generic rules.

The Cost of Getting Limited Company Filing Wrong

Missing a Companies House or HMRC deadline can result in penalties, even where the mistake was unintentional.

For private limited companies, Companies House currently applies automatic late filing penalties for annual accounts of:

• £150 if the accounts are up to one month late
• £375 if they are more than one month but no more than three months late
• £750 if they are more than three months but no more than six months late
• £1,500 if they are more than six months late

The penalty is normally doubled if the company’s accounts are filed late in two successive financial years.

Company Tax Returns have separate HMRC penalties. For filing dates on or after 1 April 2026, the initial late filing penalty is £200, with another £200 if the return is three months late. Further tax-related penalties can arise when a return remains outstanding for longer. GOV.UK

Failure to keep up with Companies House filings can have consequences beyond financial penalties. Companies House guidance states that failing to file accounts or confirmation statements can ultimately lead to enforcement action and the company being struck off the register. GOV.UK

Using an accountant can reduce the risk of missed deadlines or incorrect filings, but directors should still keep track of what is due and confirm that required submissions have actually been made.

When Might a Limited Company Not Need an Accountant?

There are circumstances where paying for a full accounting service may not be necessary.

A company that is dormant, has very limited activity or has extremely straightforward affairs may be manageable by a director who understands the filing requirements and has the appropriate software.

A director may also decide to prepare the bookkeeping personally and use an accountant only for annual accounts and Corporation Tax work.

The important point is not whether the company uses an accountant, but whether the person dealing with the work understands what needs to be prepared, when it needs to be filed and how the figures should be treated.

What About a Dormant Limited Company?

Dormant companies still have Companies House responsibilities.

Even where a company has no significant transactions, it will normally still need to file annual accounts and a confirmation statement with Companies House. Dormant companies that meet the relevant conditions may be able to file simpler dormant accounts. GOV.UK

Corporation Tax works slightly differently. Once HMRC has been told that the company is dormant for Corporation Tax, the company generally does not have to file further Company Tax Returns unless HMRC asks for one or the company starts trading again. If HMRC has already issued a notice requiring a return for a period, that obligation should not simply be ignored.

When Does Using an Accountant Become More Useful?

There is no single point at which every limited company suddenly needs an accountant.

However, professional support generally becomes more valuable as the company’s affairs become more complex.

That might happen when the company begins employing staff, registers for VAT, has several directors or shareholders, buys significant assets, takes on finance, expands quickly or starts producing enough profit for tax planning decisions to become more important.

The same applies when bookkeeping starts taking substantial time away from running the business.

At that stage, the question may become less about whether you can do the accounting yourself and more about whether doing it yourself remains the best use of your time and whether you are comfortable taking responsibility for the technical decisions involved.

Making the Decision

If your company is dormant or extremely simple, handling some or all of the accounting yourself can be a genuine option.

For an active trading company, an accountant can provide more than filing support. Professional help can improve record keeping, keep deadlines organised, support accurate tax reporting and give directors someone to consult before making decisions that have accounting or tax consequences.

The value of that support will depend on the complexity of the company, the amount of work involved and the level of advice you need.

If you want professional support, Samsaad’s limited company accountants provide accounting and tax support for limited companies, including annual accounts, Corporation Tax, bookkeeping, VAT and ongoing financial guidance. Samsaad’s current website positions this page specifically around those limited-company requirements. Samsaad Accounting

Not Sure Whether You Need an Accountant?

Every limited company is different. The right level of support depends on how the business operates, the amount of activity involved and which accounting or tax responsibilities apply.

You can speak to the Samsaad team about your company and discuss the accounting or tax support that may be appropriate.