GlossaryUK
What is a CT600?
Company Tax Return (form CT600)
Short answer
The CT600 is the Company Tax Return a UK company uses to report its profit or loss for Corporation Tax and the tax due to HMRC. If HMRC asks for a return, it must be filed even when the company made a loss or has no tax to pay.
Explained
The deadline is 12 months after the end of the accounting period it covers. Returns are filed online with compatible commercial software; paper returns are only for limited cases. Amendments can usually be made during the 12 months after the filing deadline.
Late returns attract stepped penalties; at 6 and 12 months late HMRC can estimate the tax and add a further penalty based on the unpaid tax. If a return is late three times in a row, the fixed penalties increase.
Good to know
- Taxable profit differs from the profit in the annual accounts; adjustments are made on the return.
- A return covers one accounting period; a first period longer than 12 months may need two returns.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; check the official source for the latest position or talk to us.
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