Your options now the free tool has gone
There are broadly three ways to get a CT600 filed: pay an accountant to do it, use low-cost filing software and do it yourself, or use a full accounting package that includes filing.
For a straightforward company, an accountant is by far the most expensive route — a CT600 with accounts typically runs to a few hundred pounds. A full accounting subscription is cheaper but is usually more than a company with simple affairs needs.
Dedicated filing software is the least expensive option, and for a micro-entity it does everything the free HMRC tool used to.
What actually drives the cost
Whether the company traded. A dormant company is the cheapest and simplest of all to file.
Whether you need someone to prepare the figures, or you already have them. If your bookkeeping is in order, you are only paying to format and submit the return.
How complex the company is. A one-person micro-entity is a world away from a company with staff, stock and multiple income streams — and it should not cost the same to file.
Filing it yourself is the cheapest route
If your company qualifies as a micro-entity — which most of the smallest companies do — you do not need an accountant to file a compliant return. The software handles the tax computation, the iXBRL tagging and the submission.
OneFiler prepares your CT600 and your FRS 105 accounts and files both directly to HMRC and Companies House, for a small fixed fee per filing rather than an ongoing subscription. Dormant filings cost less again.
What to look for in low-cost software
It should file both the CT600 and the accounts — not just one of them — and submit directly to HMRC and Companies House.
It should handle iXBRL for you, so you never touch the underlying format.
It should not lock you into a monthly subscription you do not need, and it should charge less for dormant companies.
Check the total price, not just the headline: some tools add charges for extras that others include.