After registering a UK company
Registration is the start of the obligations, not the end of them. A UK limited company files a confirmation statement each year, sends annual accounts to Companies House, pays corporation tax and keeps a valid registered office.
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- Register with HMRC for corporation tax.
- Set up the accounting records the filings will be built from.
- Arrange how post to the registered office reaches you.
- Note the first confirmation statement and accounts dates.
The registration itself takes a day; what follows runs on a calendar that does not stop, and the first deadlines are counted from the date of incorporation. The registration is at UK company formation.
01
What is done first after a company is registered?
After registration a company sets up three things together: registration for corporation tax with HMRC, an accounting record system, and a way of tracking post sent to the registered office. Nothing else works until those exist.
02
What is a confirmation statement and when is it filed?
The confirmation statement is the annual notice confirming a company's details on the Companies House register. GOV.UK requires at least one every 12 months, filed within 14 days of the end of the review period.
It confirms rather than updates: changes to directors or control are notified separately when they happen. Filing the statement does not substitute for those notifications.
03
When and where are annual accounts filed?
Annual accounts are prepared from the company's records at its financial year end and sent to the shareholders, to Companies House and to HMRC as part of the corporation tax return. Late filing at Companies House carries an automatic penalty.
04
When is corporation tax paid and returned?
Payment comes before the return. GOV.UK sets payment at 9 months and 1 day after the end of the accounting period for taxable profits up to £1.5 million, with the return due 12 months after that period ends.
| Obligation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Corporation tax payment | 9 months and 1 day after the period ends |
| Corporation tax return | 12 months after the period ends |
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05
How is a registered office set and changed?
The registered office is the company's official correspondence address. GOV.UK requires it to be a physical address in the UK, in the country the company is registered in, and to meet the appropriate address test.
An appropriate address is one where delivery of a document can be acknowledged and where it would come to the attention of someone acting for the company. A PO box alone does not satisfy that.
06
What does British Global do at this stage?
British Global sets up the company's whole filing calendar: it puts the dates and the service items needed into a written preliminary report and refers you to an accountant whose professional membership is verified on a register.
Accountancy and tax work is carried out by a professional whose membership is verified on a public register; British Global sets out the position and refers.
07
Frequently asked questions
Does a dormant company file?
Yes. Both the confirmation statement and the accounts are due whether or not the company has traded.
Is the corporation tax deadline the same as the return deadline?
No. Payment falls at 9 months and 1 day after the accounting period ends; the return is due at 12 months.
Can a PO box be the registered office?
No. The address must be a physical address in the UK meeting the appropriate address test, so a PO box alone is not sufficient.
Sources
- GOV.UK — A company files at least one confirmation statement every 12 months, within 14 days of the end of its review period. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — Filing annual accounts late at Companies House carries an automatic penalty that rises with the length of the delay. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — Corporation tax on taxable profits up to £1.5 million is due 9 months and 1 day after the end of the accounting period. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — The company tax return is due 12 months after the end of the accounting period it covers. — 26 August 2026
