Question 1

What filings does DormantFile handle?

Accepted Answer

DormantFile handles both annual filing obligations for UK dormant and non-trading companies. We submit your annual accounts to Companies House via the Software Filing API — dormant accounts if your company is genuinely dormant, or FRS 105 micro-entity accounts if it's non-trading but has a transaction or two on its books (such as a Bounce Back Loan) — and a nil CT600 Corporation Tax return to HMRC via the GovTalk API. Both filings are submitted 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 CT600 independently.

Question 2

What if my company isn't registered for Corporation Tax?

Accepted Answer

That's fine. Many dormant companies only need to file annual accounts with Companies House. If yours isn't registered for Corporation Tax, you can skip the CT600 entirely. We handle both scenarios.

Question 3

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) 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 FRS 105 micro-entity accounts. Both get a nil CT600.

Question 4

Can DormantFile file 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 from its own bank account — we prepare FRS 105 micro-entity accounts with a short balance sheet showing the loan, and submit 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 5

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 per accounting period, 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 6

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, just with the real balance sheet figures shown.

Question 7

What do I need before I start?

Accepted Answer

For Companies House accounts: your company registration number and Companies House authentication code. For the CT600: your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and HMRC Government Gateway credentials (user ID and password). You will also need your accounting period dates for both filings.

Question 8

How long does filing take?

Accepted Answer

Under two minutes. You click file, enter the relevant credentials, and we handle the rest.

Question 9

What happens after I file?

Accepted Answer

After you submit, DormantFile polls the government APIs 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 10

What is autopilot?

Accepted Answer

Autopilot is optional one-click annual filing for dormant company accounts, included on every plan. Enable it from your company's autopilot page and choose to save your Companies House authentication code — we store it encrypted (AES-256-GCM), 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 CT600 is always filed by you. 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 11

What accounting periods can I file for?

Accepted Answer

You can file for any accounting period where your company was dormant or non-trading. We calculate your deadlines based on the period dates you enter, and you choose dormant or micro-entity accounts for each period independently.

Question 12

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. Late filing penalties may apply from Companies House — these escalate from £150 for up to one month late. Filing now prevents further penalties from accruing. See our guide on catching up on overdue filings.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Yes. A Bounce Back Loan on its own doesn't automatically make your company non-dormant for Companies Act purposes — the test is whether there have been significant accounting transactions beyond shares paid for, filing fees, and penalties. If the loan is simply sitting there and repayments are made from outside the company, it can still be dormant, and we file dormant accounts. But once the company repays the loan or pays interest from its own bank account, those are significant transactions and it's no longer dormant — so we file FRS 105 micro-entity accounts instead, showing the loan on a short balance sheet. Either way you still need to file every year while the loan is outstanding. See our guide on BBLs and non-trading accounts.

Question 14

What happens if HMRC or Companies House rejects my filing?

Accepted Answer

Rejections are uncommon for dormant filings but can happen if credentials are incorrect, the company isn't registered for 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 15

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 extremely rare since the figures are standardised — if your company was genuinely dormant, the original filing will be correct.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

Yes. First-year filings work the same way. DormantFile calculates your first accounting period based on your incorporation date and accounting reference date. If your company was incorporated within the current period, DormantFile handles the first-year filing correctly.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

For Companies Act purposes, holding a bank account is fine as long as there have been no significant accounting transactions. The key test is whether the company has traded. If the only transactions are formation shares, filing fees, and penalties, the company is still dormant. Interest earned on the account could affect this — check with HMRC if in doubt.

Question 18

What happened to CATO?

Accepted Answer

HMRC's Corporation Tax Online (CATO) service closed on 31 March 2026. CATO was the free way to file a nil CT600 return directly with HMRC. With it gone, you need either approved software like DormantFile or an accountant to file your Corporation Tax return. Companies House accounts filing is unaffected — that's a separate system.

Question 19

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 Corporation Tax returns are not public. DormantFile submits to the same official systems as any accountant or filing software.

Question 20

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All data is transmitted over TLS encryption in transit. 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 Gateway login is used once at filing time and immediately discarded — 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 (AES-256-GCM) 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: one session cookie for authentication and an optional analytics cookie. You can read more on our security page.

Question 21

How do you handle my HMRC Gateway credentials?

Accepted Answer

Your HMRC Government Gateway user ID and password are entered at filing time only. They are transmitted directly to HMRC over TLS to authenticate the CT600 submission. Once HMRC responds, they are immediately discarded from server memory. 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 22

How do you handle my Companies House authentication code?

Accepted Answer

Your Companies House authentication code is entered when you file. It is included in the submission XML sent to Companies House, transmitted over TLS, and discarded from server memory after the submission completes — 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 with AES-256-GCM 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 23

What data do you collect?

Accepted Answer

We collect your email address, a hashed password, company details (name, registration number, UTR, accounting dates), and filing records. Payment is handled entirely by Stripe — we never see or store your card details.

Question 24

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 you manage — not how many filings you make. All plans include both Companies House accounts and CT600 filing for any outstanding period. See our pricing page for the full comparison.

Question 25

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 plan covers your annual accounts (dormant or micro-entity) and 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 26

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 27

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 28

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 29

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 30

When do I get filing reminders?

Accepted Answer

We send email reminders at 90, 30, 14, 7, 3, and 1 days before each deadline, plus overdue alerts at 1, 7, 30, and 90+ days after. One consolidated email per day covers all your companies. 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 31

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 32

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, accounting period, filing type, submission reference, and date confirmed. You can also copy a formatted summary to your clipboard in one click to share with directors or clients.

Question 33

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 accounting periods. Open it in Excel or Google Sheets for your own records or to share with colleagues.

Question 34

What if I filed a period through another service?

Accepted Answer

You can mark any accounts or CT600 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 35

How do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

You can delete your account from the settings page. This removes all your personal data and company records. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Filing

Security

Pricing

Account

Ready to file your dormant or non-trading company returns?