What is the best corporation tax software for a small UK company in 2026?
The free HMRC route is gone. You now need software, and the cheapest option is cheaper than most directors expect.
For years, a director of a small limited company could file the Company Tax Return (CT600) and the accounts on HMRC's own website, for free. That service closed in spring 2026. Since then, HMRC expects the CT600, the tax computation and the accounts in iXBRL (the tagged digital format HMRC reads) to come from commercial software. Paper is only accepted with a reasonable excuse, or for returns in Welsh.
The short answer. TinyTax is the best choice for a director who files alone: £69 a year for one company covers the CT600 and the annual accounts, with Companies House filing included. Xero is the best pick if your books are already there: its Company accounts and tax add-on files the CT600 and your micro-entity accounts at Companies House for £120 + VAT a year. CT600Filing prices by company size, from £49 + VAT per return for a dormant company. Easy Digital Filing, FreeAgent and TaxCalc complete the ranking.
What most "best of" lists skip: Companies House and HMRC are two separate filings. A tool that sends your CT600 does not always send your accounts to Companies House. We checked that point for each tool before ranking it.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labelled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best corporation tax software for your situation
£69 a year, Companies House included
Your books are in XeroAdd-on at £120 + VAT a year
Priced by company sizeFrom £49 + VAT per return
You want it done for youManaged filing at £379 + VAT
Books and return in one tool£33 a month ex VAT, free with some banks
Desktop software£142 for the Limited Company Solo pack
Corporation tax software compared
The ranking targets the director of a small UK limited company, often the only person in it, who used to file on HMRC's free service or wants to stop paying an accountant just to submit the return. A tool is ranked only if its official page publishes a price and confirms it files the CT600. Tools that hide their price, or whose pricing page we could not read, are described below, unranked: we do not compare a price we cannot see.
| Best for | What sets it apart | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TinyTax | You file alone, once a year | Companies House included in the yearly fee | 4.2/5 | £69 a year (1 company) | — | Single-director companies | Visit → |
| 2 | Xero | Your books are in Xero | Files HMRC and Companies House from Xero | 4.1/5 | £120 + VAT a year (add-on) | — | Micro-entities already on Xero | Visit → |
| 3 | CT600Filing | Priced by company size | Price follows company size | 4.0/5 | £49 + VAT per return (dormant) | — | Dormant to large companies | Visit → |
| 4 | Easy Digital Filing | You want it done for you | Managed filing option | 3.9/5 | £80 + VAT (CT600 only) | — | Directors who want help | Visit → |
| 5 | FreeAgent | You want your books in the same tool | Books and return in one tool | 3.8/5 | £33 a month ex VAT | — | Small companies doing their own books | Visit → |
| 6 | TaxCalc | Desktop software | CT600 plus personal returns | 3.6/5 | £142 (Solo 6 pack) | — | Family companies | Visit → |
Scores on five weighted criteria, explained in the method. Prices read in 2026 on each vendor's official page, in pounds. Tools without a readable price are listed under Other options.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
Why you now need software for corporation tax
HMRC announced the closure well ahead, but many directors only notice it when the next return is due. Here is what changed, and what did not.
HMRC's free filing service has closed
The service called "File your accounts and Company Tax Return" let a company send its CT600 to HMRC and its accounts to Companies House in one go, free of charge. It closed in spring 2026. There is no free HMRC replacement. HMRC now points companies to commercial software, and keeps a list of recognised suppliers that it updated in 2026.
What the software has to produce
Three things go to HMRC together: the CT600 form, the tax computation (the bridge between your accounting profit and your taxable profit), and the accounts in iXBRL. You do not need to understand iXBRL tags yourself; the software adds them. You do need to check that the tool produces all three, not just the form.
Companies House is still separate
Your accounts must also reach Companies House, and that is a separate filing. You can use third-party software, the Companies House web service or paper. Some tools include it in the price, others only handle the HMRC side. If you miss it, the HMRC return can be accepted while your Companies House filing is late.
- Is the tool on HMRC's list of recognised corporation tax software?
- Does it produce the CT600, the computation and iXBRL accounts?
- Does it also file your accounts at Companies House?
- Is the price per company, per year, or per month?
- Does it import your figures, or do you retype a trial balance?
- Who do you call if HMRC rejects the submission?
How we compared and scored
This page is for a UK limited company paying corporation tax, not for US corporations. If you file a Form 1120 in the United States, our ranking of business tax software is the page you want. If your question is Making Tax Digital for VAT or income tax, see our Making Tax Digital software ranking.
The first criterion weighs 35%: CT600, tax computation and iXBRL accounts, confirmed on the vendor's official page. Clear pricing weighs 25%, because a director filing once a year wants to know the cost before signing up. Companies House filing weighs 15%. Fit for a small company weighs 10%: whether the tool suits a director with no finance background. User feedback weighs 15%, read starting with the negative reviews.
We did not open accounts with the vendors. Every fact comes from official pages, GOV.UK guidance and public user feedback.
- CT600 and accounts coverageCT600, computation and iXBRL accounts, confirmed officially.35%
- Clear pricingA public price per company and per year.25%
- Companies House filingAccounts filed at Companies House from the same tool.15%
- Fit for a small companyUsable by a director without a finance background.10%
- User feedbackPublic reviews, recurring complaints, support.15%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
HMRC's software list and vendor prices keep moving. Get the changes by email
TinyTax
TinyTax does one job: it turns your year-end figures into a CT600 and annual accounts, then files them. It is recognised by HMRC, and the yearly fee includes the Companies House filing. That last point matters more than it looks: it is the closest thing to the HMRC service that closed in 2026.
The Solo plan costs £69 a year for one company. If you run several companies, Portfolio starts at £99. A Practice plan exists for accountants, without a public price. The page does not say whether VAT is added, so check at checkout.
Its limit: TinyTax is not bookkeeping software. You bring your figures; it does not reconcile your bank or chase your receipts. If your books are a mess, the return will be a tidy version of that mess. We also found little independent user feedback, which holds its score back.
Tip: prepare your trial balance before you open the tool. Directors who used to file on HMRC's service often discover at year end that they have no clean figures to enter.
- £69 a year for one company
- CT600 and annual accounts together
- Companies House filing included
- ✓Lowest published price we found
- ✓Recognised by HMRC
- ✓Built for one-director companies
- ✗No bookkeeping
- ✗VAT on the price not stated
- ✗Little independent feedback
The simplest replacement for HMRC's free service if your books are already done. If they live in Xero, its add-on avoids retyping.
Xero
Xero is bookkeeping software, and since HMRC's free service closed it sells a Company accounts and tax add-on. For £120 + VAT a year, billed yearly, it prepares the CT600 from your Xero records and files with HMRC and with Companies House, from inside Xero. That second filing is what most dedicated tools charge extra for.
Xero's pricing page shows the add-on as included on the Comprehensive and Ultimate plans, so check at sign-up whether you pay the £120. You still need a Xero plan underneath: Ignite at £18, Grow £39, Comprehensive £55 or Ultimate £70 a month ex VAT, with a 90% discount on the first six months when the promotion runs.
Its limit: the add-on covers micro-entity accounts (FRS 105) only, with simple fixed assets and losses. A small company that files full FRS 102 1A accounts needs another tool or an accountant.
Tip: if you are already paying for Xero, £120 + VAT a year is the cheapest way to file both returns without retyping a figure. If you are thinking of leaving Xero, read our page on how to switch from Xero first.
- CT600 and Companies House from inside Xero
- £120 + VAT a year
- Built from your own records
- ✓No export or retyping
- ✓Both filings included
- ✓Yearly price, published
- ✗Micro-entities only
- ✗Needs a paid Xero plan
- ✗Simple assets and losses only
The obvious choice for a micro-entity already on Xero. Not worth adopting Xero just for it: TinyTax is cheaper on its own.
CT600Filing
CT600Filing prices by the kind of accounts you file. A dormant or nil company pays £49 + VAT. A micro company pays £79 + VAT for the CT600, FRS 105 iXBRL accounts and the Companies House filing. A small company filing FRS 102 1A accounts pays £159 + VAT, and medium and large companies £299 + VAT.
Two details help a first-time filer: preparation is free, and you only pay when you file. Companies House is included on every plan.
Its limit: one public review says some functions are not great for a small business. Preparing for free lets you check that for yourself before paying.
Tip: know your accounts format before you choose a plan. The jump from £79 to £159 is the jump from micro-entity to small company accounts.
- From £49 + VAT for a dormant company
- Companies House on every plan
- Pay only when you file
- ✓Price follows company size
- ✓Free preparation
- ✓Bundles for accountants
- ✗Small company accounts at £159 + VAT
- ✗Mixed feedback on small-business use
- ✗VAT on top of every price
The cheapest route for a dormant company and a fair price for a micro company. A single active director may still prefer TinyTax at £69.
Easy Digital Filing
Easy Digital Filing sells packages by job. The CT600 alone costs £80 + VAT. With micro-entity iXBRL accounts it is £119 + VAT, and with small company accounts £195 + VAT. Abridged accounts add £20.
Its stand-out offer is Premier Micro, at £379 + VAT: the HMRC and Companies House filings are done for you. It sits between a do-it-yourself tool and an accountant.
Its limit: the Companies House filing is an option at £20 + VAT, and the pricing page does not make clear which packages include it. Ask before you pay.
Tip: if you only need the HMRC side because your accountant or Companies House web filing handles the accounts, the £80 CT600-only package is enough.
- Managed filing at £379 + VAT
- CT600 alone at £80 + VAT
- Micro or small company packages
- ✓A done-for-you option
- ✓Clear packages by job
- ✓Abridged accounts available
- ✗Companies House as a £20 option
- ✗Dearer than TinyTax for the same job
- ✗VAT on top
Worth it for the managed option. For a plain micro company, TinyTax or CT600Filing cost less.
FreeAgent
FreeAgent is accounting software first. You record sales and expenses during the year, and at year end it lets you generate final accounts and Corporation Tax return data, and file from FreeAgent. For a director who wants one tool for everything, that removes the year-end export and retyping.
The limited company plan costs £33 a month ex VAT, or £330 a year. New customers get 50% off the first six months on monthly billing, or the first year on annual billing (£165), and there is a 30-day free trial. The real price breaker is the bank deal: FreeAgent is free with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account for as long as you keep it, and with Mettle if you make at least one transaction a month.
Its limit: the official page confirms the CT600 side, but we could not confirm that FreeAgent files your accounts at Companies House. Plan that step separately. And £330 a year is far more than TinyTax if you only need the return.
Tip: before paying, check whether your business bank account gives you FreeAgent for free. If it does, it beats TinyTax on price too. If you are leaving Xero or QuickBooks for it, read our pages on how to switch from Xero or switch from QuickBooks first.
- Final accounts and CT600 data from your books
- Free with NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank, or Mettle if active
- One tool all year
- ✓No year-end export or retyping
- ✓Bookkeeping and invoicing included
- ✓Free with some business accounts
- ✗Companies House filing not confirmed
- ✗£330 a year without a bank deal
- ✗More tool than you need for the return alone
The right pick if you want your books and your return in the same place, and an easy win if your bank makes it free. For the return alone, TinyTax costs about a fifth of the annual plan.
TaxCalc
TaxCalc's Limited Company Solo 6 pack costs £142 and covers one CT600 plus up to six personal tax returns (SA100). For a director who also files returns for a partner or relatives, that bundle has real value.
Its limit: the shop page does not mention Companies House filing. TaxCalc sells accounts production as a separate product for firms, from £164. Plan the Companies House step separately.
Tip: if you only need the CT600, the pack is dearer than TinyTax. It pays off when the personal returns replace another paid tool.
- 1 CT600 and up to 6 personal returns
- £142 pack
- Range for accounting firms
- ✓Company and personal returns together
- ✓Previous-year packs at the same £142
- ✓Scales to firms
- ✗Companies House not mentioned
- ✗VAT added at checkout
- ✗Dearer for the CT600 alone
A sensible bundle for a family company with several personal returns. For the company return alone, look higher in the ranking.
Other options worth knowing
These names come up in every search for corporation tax software. They are not ranked because we could not read a price on an official page, or because they mainly serve accountants. Here is when each one is worth a look.
GoFile: a dedicated CT600 filer
CT600GoFile sells corporation tax filing for small companies and ranks well on Google. We could not open its official pricing page, so we did not rank it or quote a price. If it is on your shortlist, compare its yearly fee with TinyTax's £69 and check whether Companies House filing is included.
- Type
- Dedicated CT600 software
- Status
- Not ranked, price unread
IRIS Elements Tax: the old Taxfiler
AccountantsTaxfiler now redirects to IRIS Elements Tax. It is sold to accounting practices that file returns for many clients, with a minimum number of clients, and the prices shown on the product page do not line up with each other. A director filing one return a year is not its customer.
- For
- Accounting practices
QuickBooks and Sage: your books, not always your return
BooksXero now files the CT600 through its add-on (see its card above). For QuickBooks and Sage, do not assume the subscription files your CT600: we found no corporation tax filing on QuickBooks' UK pricing page, and the year-end return is often done by an accountant on top. Ask your provider which tool sends the return. Our accounting software for small businesses ranking covers the books themselves, and our page on how to switch from QuickBooks covers leaving it.
- Role
- Bookkeeping, VAT
- CT600
- Ask before you assume
Your accountant: when paying someone still makes sense
Hands-offThe closure of the free service pushes some directors back to an accountant. That makes sense if your company has staff, several income streams, or reliefs you are not sure about. Accountants use their own filing software; our ranking of accounting firm software shows what they work with. If your company is a one-person consultancy with a clean bank feed, software at £69 a year will usually do.
- Best for
- Complex or growing companies
Paper: only with a reasonable excuse
ExceptionHMRC accepts a paper return only with a reasonable excuse, or for returns in Welsh. It is not a cheap fallback. If your software fails close to the deadline, contact HMRC rather than posting forms.
- Accepted
- Reasonable excuse or Welsh
From your books to HMRC and Companies House, step by step
Whatever tool you pick, the year-end job follows the same chain. Knowing it helps you see which step your software covers, and which one you still own.
Close your books
Step 1Reconcile the bank, record the last invoices and expenses, and produce a trial balance. This is where bookkeeping software like FreeAgent earns its fee. TinyTax starts after this step: it needs your final figures.
- Output
- A trial balance
Prepare the annual accounts
Step 2The accounts follow a set format, usually much shorter for a small company than for a large one. Your software builds them from the trial balance. Check the director's details and the balance sheet before moving on: they are what Companies House publishes.
- Output
- Annual accounts
Know your format: micro-entity or small company
Step 2bPrices depend on the accounts you file. Micro-entity accounts (FRS 105) are the shortest; small company accounts (FRS 102 section 1A) are fuller. CT600Filing charges £79 + VAT for a micro company and £159 + VAT for a small one; Easy Digital Filing £119 + VAT against £195 + VAT. Xero's add-on covers micro-entities only. Ask your accountant, or check last year's accounts, before you pick a plan.
- Formats
- FRS 105 or FRS 102 1A
Build the tax computation and the CT600
Step 3The computation adjusts your accounting profit to reach the taxable profit. The CT600 is the form that carries the result. A good tool fills the form from the computation, so you never type the same number twice.
- Output
- CT600 and computation
File with HMRC in iXBRL
Step 4The CT600, the computation and the tagged accounts go to HMRC together. Keep the submission receipt. If HMRC rejects the file, the error message usually names the tag or the box at fault: fix it in the software and resubmit.
- Keep
- The submission receipt
File the accounts at Companies House
Step 5This step is separate, and it is the one people forget since the joint HMRC service closed. TinyTax, CT600Filing and Xero's add-on include it; Easy Digital Filing sells it as an option. Otherwise use the Companies House web service, and keep proof of filing.
- Included
- TinyTax, CT600Filing, Xero
File your company return for less, with less stress
Practical moves we found in official guidance and in directors' own feedback.
Start from HMRC's recognised software list
SafetyHMRC publishes a list of commercial software suppliers for corporation tax, updated in 2026. If a tool is not on it, do not use it for your return, however cheap it looks.
- Where
- GOV.UK
Check your bank before you pay for software
PriceFreeAgent is free with a NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank business account while you keep it, and with Mettle if you make at least one transaction a month. If you already bank there, that is £330 a year saved, and it covers your books as well as the return.
- Saving
- Up to £330 a year
Do not pay monthly for a once-a-year job
PriceIf your bookkeeping already works, a yearly filer like TinyTax at £69, or CT600Filing at £79 + VAT for a micro company, costs a fraction of FreeAgent's annual plan at £330 ex VAT. Pay monthly only for the tool you use every month.
- Gap
- £69 against £330 a year (annual plan)
Diary the Companies House filing on its own
DeadlinesSince the joint service closed, HMRC and Companies House are two jobs. Put both in your diary, with your own reminder, even if your tool claims to handle both.
- Filings
- HMRC and Companies House
Run the return early in your first year on new software
TimingThe first return on a new tool always takes longer: account set-up, HMRC authorisation, importing last year's figures. Leaving it to the final week leaves no room for a rejected submission. Give yourself a few weeks.
- Allow
- A few weeks the first time
Keep every receipt in one folder
RecordsSave the HMRC submission receipt and the Companies House confirmation in the same folder as the year's accounts. If HMRC or Companies House asks later, you answer in five minutes instead of digging through two inboxes and an old software account.
- Keep
- Both confirmations
Automating your company admin? Get our next finance and automation guides
Go further
These pages pick up where this one stops, from the books to the accountant.
The base before any return.
You also file VAT or income tax digitallyMaking Tax Digital softwareThe MTD ranking.
You run a US corporationBusiness tax softwareForm 1120 and 1120-S.
You are leaving SageSwitch from SageAlternatives and migration.
You are leaving XeroSwitch from XeroAlternatives and migration.
You are an accountantAccounting firm softwareTools for practices.
Your questions on corporation tax software
Can I still file my CT600 for free with HMRC?
No. HMRC closed its free "File your accounts and Company Tax Return" service in spring 2026, and there is no free HMRC replacement. You now need commercial software; TinyTax is the cheapest published option we found, at £69 a year for one company.
What is the cheapest corporation tax software?
For a dormant company, CT600Filing at £49 + VAT. For an active one-director company, TinyTax Solo at £69 a year, Companies House filing included. FreeAgent can cost nothing if you bank with NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank, or with Mettle and at least one transaction a month.
Does Xero or QuickBooks file my Company Tax Return?
Xero does, with its Company accounts and tax add-on at £120 + VAT a year: it files the CT600 with HMRC and micro-entity accounts at Companies House. QuickBooks' UK pricing page mentions no CT600 filing, so ask before you assume.
Do I still need to file at Companies House separately?
Yes, it is a separate filing. TinyTax, CT600Filing and Xero's add-on include it; Easy Digital Filing sells it as a £20 + VAT option; TaxCalc's pack and FreeAgent do not confirm it, so plan the step yourself.
Can I file corporation tax without an accountant?
Yes, if your figures are clean. Software builds the CT600, the computation and the iXBRL accounts. An accountant becomes worth it when you have staff, several income streams or reliefs you are unsure about.
Can I send a paper CT600 instead?
Only with a reasonable excuse, or for a return in Welsh. Paper is not an alternative to software for most companies.
What is iXBRL, and do I need to understand it?
iXBRL is the tagged format HMRC uses to read your accounts and computation by machine. You do not tag anything yourself: the software does it. Just make sure the tool you choose produces iXBRL accounts, not only the CT600 form.