Question 1

What filings does DormantFile handle?

Accepted Answer

DormantFile files the accounts and tax return a UK dormant or non-trading company makes each year. We send your annual accounts straight to Companies House — dormant accounts if your company is genuinely dormant, whether they show only share capital or carry figures left from years it traded, or short micro-entity accounts (FRS 105) if it's non-trading but has a transaction or two on its books (such as a Bounce Back Loan) — and a Company Tax Return with nothing to pay (a nil CT600) straight to HMRC. Both filings are sent electronically — you never need to post anything. Each filing is tracked separately in your dashboard, so you can see the status of your Companies House accounts and your Company Tax Return independently. We don't file the confirmation statement, but we work out when it's due and remind you.

Question 2

What does DormantFile do besides filing?

Accepted Answer

It watches the rest of your company's year. We send deadline reminders for your accounts and confirmation statement, and we remind you about any Corporation Tax or partnership return deadline you add. We read from the Companies House register which directors and people with significant control have verified their identity, and remind you about anyone who hasn't before their date. And we check the public register every day for changes you didn't make to your company's directors, address, owners or name, and for strike-off notices while there's still time to object. The reminders and register checks are free for one company on our Watchdog plan, and come with every paid plan. If a letter arrives from HMRC or Companies House, photograph it and the letter decoder tells you what it is, what's due and what we can do about it; for a penalty, we check for grounds to appeal and can write the appeal letter (£9.99 a letter, on any plan) — whether it succeeds is up to HMRC or Companies House. On a paid plan, the assistant answers questions from your company's own filing data.

Question 3

Does DormantFile file my confirmation statement?

Accepted Answer

No. We work out when your confirmation statement (the yearly check that the company's details on the register are right) is due and remind you at 90, 30, 14, 7, 3, and 1 days before, on every paid plan and on the free Watchdog plan — but we don't file it. We also show which of your directors and people with significant control have verified their identity with Companies House, and remind you about anyone who hasn't. We don't verify anyone's identity ourselves.

Question 4

What if HMRC hasn't asked my company for a Corporation Tax return?

Accepted Answer

Then you only file the annual accounts with Companies House. A Company Tax Return (CT600) is due only when HMRC sends the company a formal letter asking for one (a 'notice to deliver'). If a notice does arrive, it has to be answered, even for a dormant period, and we file the return showing nothing to pay (a nil CT600). We handle both.

Question 5

Can I use DormantFile if my company is trading?

Accepted Answer

If your company is genuinely trading — selling, invoicing, earning income — then no, you need a qualified accountant. DormantFile is for companies that aren't trading. That covers genuinely dormant companies (no significant transactions at all, even if the balance sheet still carries figures from when the company traded) and non-trading companies that have a transaction or two on their books, most often a Bounce Back Loan they're repaying. The first files dormant accounts; the second files short micro-entity accounts (FRS 105). Both file a Company Tax Return showing nothing to pay (a nil CT600) when HMRC asks for one — our tax returns never declare a profit or tax to pay.

Question 6

Can my company file dormant accounts if it still has assets or debts from when it traded?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Dormant doesn't mean empty. A company is dormant when it has no significant accounting transactions in the year — no money in or out of its books — not when its balance sheet is blank. If your company traded once and still owes money, is owed money or holds assets, it can still be dormant — and its dormant accounts show those figures, unchanged through a year in which nothing happened. That holds as long as nothing about them changes in the year: nothing paid or collected, no interest added, nothing written off or written down. DormantFile files them. At the accounts step you give the balance sheet in whole pounds — fixed assets, current assets (including cash and money owed to the company), creditors due within one year and after more than one year, provisions and accruals — or start from the figures in the company's last accounts on the public register, which you check and save before you continue. If those last accounts were filed through DormantFile, next year's figures carry forward on their own. It's covered by the same plan as any other dormant company. If something did change this year — a loan repaid, whoever paid it, or interest added — the company isn't dormant, and it files micro-entity accounts instead.

Question 7

Do you support LLPs?

Accepted Answer

Yes — dormant LLPs since August 2026, and non-trading LLPs with transactions (micro-entity LLP accounts) since September 2026. Add the LLP by name or number (they start OC, SO or NC), choose dormant or micro-entity accounts for the year, name the designated member (one of the members responsible for the LLP's filings) approving the accounts, and we send them straight to Companies House. Two things differ from a company: a designated member signs rather than a director, and there is no Company Tax Return — an LLP is taxed as a partnership, so any return HMRC asks for is the Partnership Tax Return (SA800) instead, due only for the tax years HMRC writes to ask for. If HMRC has, DormantFile files it showing nothing to pay once you switch on the Partnership Tax Return in the LLP's Settings; every LLP is on HMRC's books from incorporation, so the letter is real even if the LLP has never traded. Deadlines, reminders, register and strike-off alerts and autopilot all work as they do for a company. Trading LLP accounts remain an accountant's job. See does DormantFile support LLPs?.

Question 8

Can you file for a flat management or right-to-manage (RTM) company?

Accepted Answer

Yes — since August 2026. Flat management and RTM companies are companies limited by guarantee, and we file for them: dormant accounts when service charges are held in trust for the flat owners (the statutory trust), away from the company's own books, micro-entity accounts when they're not, and the Company Tax Return showing nothing to pay (a nil CT600) if HMRC wants one. The flow recognises the guarantee structure automatically — no share capital to enter — and the accounts carry the correct legal form for a guarantee company. See our guide on filing dormant accounts for a flat management or RTM company.

Question 9

Do you support CICs (community interest companies)?

Accepted Answer

For the Company Tax Return (CT600), yes — since August 2026. There is no CIC-specific box on the return, so HMRC accepts a CIC’s return showing nothing to pay from software exactly as it does any other company’s: add the CIC by name or number, confirm your tax reference (UTR) and HMRC login (Government Gateway), and it files the same two-minute way. For the **accounts**, no — and this is not a feature we’ve chosen to skip. Companies House accepts CIC accounts only alongside a community interest report (CIC34) and a £15 fee, by post or through its own online CIC service; the software route we use for everyone else is closed to CICs, dormant ones included. So a CIC’s year splits across two routes: the tax return through DormantFile, the accounts through one of those. Your dashboard still tracks both deadlines. See does DormantFile support CIC companies? and our guide to filing CIC accounts.

Question 10

Can DormantFile file accounts for a non-trading company with a loan (micro-entity / FRS 105 accounts)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If your company isn't trading but can't file as dormant — typically because it's repaying a Bounce Back Loan — we prepare short micro-entity accounts (FRS 105) with a balance sheet showing the loan, and send them to Companies House. At the filing step you choose dormant or micro-entity; if you pick micro-entity we ask for a few figures (the loan balance, any repayments and interest, and cash at bank) and build the accounts from those. See what are micro-entity accounts? for more.

Question 11

Can I switch a company from dormant to micro-entity filing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and you don't need to tell us in advance. The accounts type is chosen for each year's accounts, so you pick dormant or micro-entity at the filing step for each year independently. A company that was dormant one year, had a loan repayment the next, and went quiet again after can file dormant, then micro-entity, then dormant — all from the same dashboard. See our guide on switching between dormant and micro-entity accounts.

Question 12

Are micro-entity accounts public?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Like all accounts filed at Companies House, micro-entity accounts go on the public register and anyone can view them. They are deliberately minimal, though — a short balance sheet and a few statements, with no profit and loss account on the public file. That's the same level of public disclosure as dormant accounts, which also show the company's balance sheet.

Question 13

What do I need before I start?

Accepted Answer

For Companies House accounts: your company registration number and Companies House authentication code (the 6-character code Companies House posts to the company's registered office). For the Company Tax Return (CT600): your tax reference (Unique Taxpayer Reference, or UTR — the 10-digit number on HMRC's letters) and your HMRC login (Government Gateway user ID and password). You will also need the dates each filing covers. If your company's balance sheet still carries figures from years it traded, have its last accounts to hand — we can usually start from the figures on the public register for you to check.

Question 14

How long does filing take?

Accepted Answer

Under two minutes. You click file, enter your Companies House code or HMRC login, and we handle the rest.

Question 15

What happens after I file?

Accepted Answer

After you file, DormantFile keeps checking with Companies House or HMRC for a response. Companies House typically responds within minutes; HMRC can take several hours or occasionally longer. You'll see the status update in your dashboard — it moves from submitted to accepted or rejected. Once a filing is accepted, you'll receive an email confirmation. If a filing is rejected, you'll see the reason in your dashboard and can correct the issue and resubmit. Your filing records are kept for as long as you have an account, so you always have a complete history.

Question 16

What is autopilot?

Accepted Answer

Autopilot is optional one-click annual filing for dormant company accounts, included on every paid plan. Enable it from your company's autopilot page and choose to save your Companies House authentication code — we store it encrypted, prepare next year's dormant accounts, and email you 30 days before the deadline — one click confirms the company is still dormant and files them. It covers dormant accounts only: micro-entity accounts need fresh figures each year, and your Company Tax Return is always filed by you. It also files a year only once the year before it has been filed and accepted, so if you're behind, file the missing years first. You can see whether the code is stored and remove it any time from the company's settings — removing it deletes it immediately and permanently and turns autopilot off. Turning autopilot off without removing the code keeps it saved so you can re-enable in one click.

Question 17

Which years can I file for?

Accepted Answer

Any year in which your company was dormant or non-trading. The dates your accounts cover are read automatically from Companies House and we work out your accounts deadlines from them. Company Tax Return (CT600) periods are entered by you — we suggest them from your records, you confirm every one — and once added, their legal deadlines are tracked and reminded (HMRC's letter is always definitive). You choose dormant or micro-entity accounts for each year independently.

Question 18

What if I'm behind on my filings?

Accepted Answer

DormantFile detects outstanding accounting periods and lets you file them in sequence. Companies House and HMRC track periods independently, so you can catch up on accounts and Corporation Tax separately. We recommend filing the oldest period first, and we'll warn you if earlier periods are still outstanding. Companies House charges one late filing penalty per set of late accounts, from £150 up to £1,500 once they are more than six months late, and doubled if the previous year's accounts were late too. HMRC charges its own penalty on a late Company Tax Return. Filing now won't cancel a penalty already due, but it stops it moving into a higher band — and penalties can be appealed. See our guide on catching up on overdue filings.

Question 19

Can I use DormantFile if my company has a Bounce Back Loan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A company repaying a Bounce Back Loan isn't dormant, whoever makes the payment — and interest builds up on the loan every day, so a year with the loan running is almost never a dormant year. If the company isn't trading otherwise, it's non-trading rather than dormant: we file short micro-entity accounts (FRS 105) showing the loan, and a Company Tax Return (CT600) with no tax to pay. You still need to file every year while the loan is outstanding. See our guide on BBLs and non-trading accounts.

Question 20

What happens if HMRC or Companies House rejects my filing?

Accepted Answer

Rejections are uncommon for dormant filings but can happen if a code or password is wrong, your HMRC login (Government Gateway) isn't set up for the company's Corporation Tax, or there's a period mismatch. DormantFile emails you the rejection reason and shows it in your dashboard so you can correct and resubmit, and the period goes back into your reminders until it's filed. If you're stuck, email support and we'll help you work out what went wrong.

Question 21

Can I amend a filing after it's been accepted?

Accepted Answer

Once a filing has been accepted by HMRC or Companies House, it cannot be amended through DormantFile. Amendments need to be filed separately through official channels. For dormant accounts, amendments are rare: nothing changes in a dormant year, so if your company was genuinely dormant and the balance sheet figures you confirmed were right, the original filing will be correct.

Question 22

Is this my first year — can I still use DormantFile?

Accepted Answer

Yes. First-year filings work the same way. DormantFile works out the dates your first accounts cover from the date the company was set up and its year end (accounting reference date). If your company was incorporated within the current period, DormantFile handles the first-year filing correctly.

Question 23

My company has a bank account but no transactions — is it still dormant?

Accepted Answer

Holding a bank account is fine. For Companies Act purposes the test is not whether the company traded, but whether any significant accounting transaction happened in the year. Only a few payments don't count: paying for the first shareholders' shares when the company was formed, and paying the confirmation statement fee, a change-of-name fee, a re-registration fee or a penalty for filing accounts late. Anything else going through the account — bank charges included — ends dormancy for that year. If the account earns interest, that's income, and the company isn't dormant for Companies House or HMRC.

Question 24

What happened to CATO?

Accepted Answer

HMRC's free online filing service — "File your accounts and Company Tax Return", known as CATO (Company Accounts and Tax Online) — closed on 31 March 2026. It filed a company's accounts and its Company Tax Return together. HMRC's free filing service is gone: a Company Tax Return (CT600) now goes through commercial filing software, such as DormantFile, or an accountant. DormantFile files the accounts to Companies House and the nil CT600 to HMRC, so both halves of what CATO did are covered.

Question 25

Who can see the filings DormantFile submits?

Accepted Answer

Companies House filings (annual accounts) are public record — anyone can view them on the Companies House register, regardless of how they were filed. HMRC Company Tax Returns are not public. DormantFile files through the same official systems as any accountant or filing software.

Question 26

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All data travels over an encrypted connection. Your DormantFile password is hashed with bcrypt before being stored — we never see or store it in plain text. Payments are handled entirely by Stripe, so your card details never touch our servers. Your HMRC login (Government Gateway) is used once when you file and deleted straight away — never written to our database or logged. Your Companies House authentication code is stored only if you choose to save it for autopilot, in which case it is encrypted at rest and never logged. You can see whether it is stored and remove it any time from the company's settings — removing it deletes it immediately and permanently. We use minimal cookies: three essential ones for sign-in (session, CSRF protection, login redirect) and Google Analytics cookies only if you consent. You can read more on our security page.

Question 27

How do you handle my HMRC login (Government Gateway)?

Accepted Answer

Your Government Gateway user ID and password are entered when you file, and only then. They go to HMRC over an encrypted connection to authorise the Company Tax Return (CT600) — or the Partnership Tax Return (SA800) if HMRC has asked your LLP to file one. Once HMRC responds, they are deleted from server memory straight away. They are never written to our database, never logged, and never accessible to anyone at DormantFile. You can verify this in our security policy.

Question 28

How do you handle my Companies House authentication code?

Accepted Answer

Your Companies House authentication code is entered when you file. It is sent to Companies House with the filing over an encrypted connection and deleted from server memory once the filing is sent — it is never logged. It is not stored in our database unless you choose to save it for autopilot, in which case it is encrypted at rest so we can file your dormant accounts when you confirm by email each year. You can see whether it is stored and remove it any time from the company's settings — removing it deletes it immediately and permanently and turns autopilot off. Turning autopilot off without removing the code keeps it saved so you can re-enable in one click.

Question 29

What data do you collect?

Accepted Answer

We collect your email address, a hashed password, company details (name, registration number, tax reference (UTR), year-end dates), and filing records, including the figures in any accounts you file. Payment is handled entirely by Stripe — we never see or store your card details. See our privacy policy for the full list.

Question 30

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Basic is £19/year for one company. Multiple is £39/year for up to 10 companies. Agent is £49/year for up to 100 companies. Plans are based on how many companies or LLPs you manage — not how many filings you make. All plans include both Companies House accounts and the Company Tax Return (CT600) for any period still to file; an LLP files its dormant or micro-entity accounts, plus the Partnership Tax Return (SA800) showing nothing to pay where HMRC asks — same price. See our pricing page for the full comparison.

Question 31

How much does it cost to file micro-entity accounts?

Accepted Answer

The same as dormant accounts — there's no surcharge for micro-entity (FRS 105) filing. Every paid plan covers your annual accounts (dormant or micro-entity) and a Company Tax Return with nothing to pay (a nil CT600), so a non-trading company repaying a loan files for the same £19/year as a dormant one. The plan price depends only on how many companies you manage.

Question 32

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

There's no separate trial because preparing your filing is already free — you subscribe only when you're ready to submit. Look up your company, see its deadlines, and prepare your return without paying anything; a subscription is what unlocks filing (£19/year for one company, £39 for up to 10, £49 for up to 100). You're also covered by a 14-day cooling-off refund — see our refund policy.

Question 33

Can I cancel anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cancel any time from your account settings — one click. Your subscription stays active until the end of the current billing period, then your company drops to the free deadline watchdog (Companies House reminders and strike-off alerts at no charge). We don't refund part-years — see our refund policy for details.

Question 34

What happens if my subscription lapses?

Accepted Answer

Your company stays on the free deadline watchdog, so you keep getting Companies House deadline reminders and strike-off alerts. You won't be able to submit a new return until you subscribe again — filing needs an active subscription — but your account and filing history stay accessible throughout.

Question 35

Can I manage multiple companies?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on the Multiple or Agent plan. Each company has its own filing record, deadlines, and reminders. You manage them all from a single dashboard.

Question 36

When do I get filing reminders?

Accepted Answer

We send email reminders at 90, 30, 14, 7, 3, and 1 days before your accounts and confirmation statement deadlines, plus overdue alerts at 1, 7, 30, and 90 days after. We also remind you about any Corporation Tax or partnership return deadline you add: those periods are entered by you — once added, their legal deadline joins the same ladder on a subscription and on the free Watchdog tier alike, pausing only while a card payment is failing (HMRC's letter is always definitive). Reminders are grouped across your companies, never one email per company. You can also subscribe to a calendar feed that adds your deadlines to Google Calendar, Outlook, or any calendar app — set it up in your settings page.

Question 37

How do I add or remove a company?

Accepted Answer

Add a company from your dashboard by entering its registration number. Remove a company from your settings — the filing history is preserved.

Question 38

Can I get a receipt for a filing?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every accepted filing has a printable receipt available from the completed filings section on your company page. It includes the company name, registration number, the period covered, filing type, filing reference, and date confirmed. You can also copy a formatted summary to your clipboard in one click to share with directors or clients.

Question 39

Can I export my company data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The dashboard has an Export CSV button that downloads your full company list with filing statuses, deadlines, and the periods covered. Open it in Excel or Google Sheets for your own records or to share with colleagues.

Question 40

What if I filed a period through another service?

Accepted Answer

You can mark any year of accounts or Company Tax Return period as filed elsewhere. This marks the period as complete and stops reminders — without needing to re-file through DormantFile. You'll find the 'Filed elsewhere?' option on each outstanding period in your company's filings tab.

Question 41

How do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

You can delete your account from the settings page, or email us if you have filings we must keep. Filing records, including the figures in the accounts, are kept while your account exists. If you close your account, we keep the records of filings we sent until six years after the end of the period each one covers, as HMRC's record-keeping rules require. See our privacy policy for details.

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