Closing a limited company
Closing a company properly is a sequence, not a form: stop trading, collect what's owed, pay what you owe, empty the bank account (anything left at dissolution belongs to the Crown), file final accounts and tax returns so HMRC doesn't object, then apply for strike-off and manage the two-month Gazette notice. Skip steps and the closure bounces — or worse, closes with your money inside.
How we handle it
For most solvent small companies, managed strike-off (£59 plus the £33 fee) plus final accounts is the whole job. Companies with substantial retained profits should hear about a Members' Voluntary Liquidation first — extracting reserves as capital rather than dividends can save serious tax, and we'll tell you straight when your numbers justify the liquidator's fee. Not closing at all — dormancy — suits those who might return.
The fixed fees behind this service
| Service | Fixed fee |
|---|---|
| Company Strike-Off & Dissolution | £59 |
| Limited Company Accounts | from £299 |
| Make a Company Dormant | £44 |
| Corporation Tax | from £199 |
Company Strike-Off & Dissolution
Close the company cleanly — checks done first, so nothing comes back to bite you.
- Readiness check first: debts, assets, HMRC position — dissolving too early is expensive
- DS01 prepared, director consents collected and filed — the £33 Companies House fee shown up front
- The Gazette notice period tracked and any objections dealt with
| Strike-off application (DS01), managed to completion | £59 |
| Strike-off + final accounts and CT600 | from £349 |
| Pre-closure check only — are you actually ready to dissolve? | £29 |
Company Strike-Off & Dissolution — full details, packages and FAQs →
Limited Company Accounts
Year-end statutory accounts and CT600, filed to Companies House and HMRC.
- Statutory year-end accounts prepared to the right standard (FRS 105 / FRS 102 1A)
- Corporation tax computation and CT600 filed with HMRC
- Accounts filed at Companies House on time
| Dormant company accounts | £49 |
| Micro-entity accounts + CT600 | £299 |
| Small company full accounts + CT600 | £449 |
Limited Company Accounts — full details, packages and FAQs →
Make a Company Dormant
Pause the company without killing it — trading stopped properly at Companies House and HMRC.
- SIC code changed to dormant (99999) via a confirmation statement — the £34 Companies House fee shown up front
- HMRC told the company is dormant for corporation tax, so the demands stop
- Clear guidance on the final trading accounts you'll owe for the period up to dormancy
| Company made dormant (CH + HMRC notified) | £44 |
| Dormancy + final trading accounts and CT600 | from £349 |
| Dormancy + ongoing annual filings, each year | £79/yr |
Corporation Tax
Company tax computed, optimised within the rules, and filed.
- Corporation tax computation from your accounts
- Every relief you're entitled to — capital allowances, losses, AIA
- CT600 filed with HMRC with iXBRL-tagged accounts
| CT600 with accounts prepared by us | included in accounts packages |
| Standalone CT600 from your accounts | £199 |
| CT600 with capital allowances review | £299 |
From first message to done
WhatsApp or the form — a few sentences is enough. A real person replies the same working day.
One price for the job, confirmed before anything starts. Complex case? We say so now, not on the invoice.
Photos of documents are fine. We chase whatever's missing — that's part of the job, not yours.
You review everything first; filings go to HMRC or Companies House electronically with same-day confirmation.
Deadlines that apply here
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 9 months after year end | Statutory accounts due at Companies House — automatic £150+ penalty if late |
| 9 months + 1 day after year end | Corporation tax payment due to HMRC |
| 12 months after year end | CT600 corporation tax return due at HMRC |
| 9 months + 1 day after year end | Corporation tax payment due — before the return itself |
| 12 months after year end | CT600 return filing deadline |
Why choose Bohzo Accountants in the UK?
Your fee is agreed before any work starts and never changes mid-job. No hourly billing, ever.
Secure portal and WhatsApp — no office visits, no printing, no waiting rooms.
Bohzo Accountants is a trading name of IGI Security Services Ltd, Company No. 15881180.
We track every HMRC and Companies House date that applies to you, so you don't have to.
Terms you'll meet along the way
DS01
The strike-off application form directors sign to dissolve a solvent company voluntarily — £33 filing fee, two-month Gazette notice follows.
Bona vacantia
'Ownerless goods' — anything still owned by a company at dissolution passes to the Crown. Empty the company first.
MVL
Members' Voluntary Liquidation — the formal solvent winding-up route where distributions are capital, often taxed at 10% with relief. Worth it above roughly £25k of reserves.
Statutory accounts
The formal year-end accounts every company must file at Companies House — publicly visible, prepared to FRS standards.
FRS 105 / FRS 102 1A
The two accounting standards small UK companies use: FRS 105 for micro-entities (minimal disclosure), FRS 102 1A for small companies (fuller picture).
CT600
The corporation tax return filed with HMRC alongside a tax computation — due 12 months after year end, though the tax is due at 9 months and a day.
Accounting reference date
Your company's official year-end date, set at incorporation (changeable within limits). Accounts are due 9 months after it.
Marginal relief
The taper between the 19% small-profits rate and the 25% main rate for profits between £50k and £250k — with an effective 26.5% rate inside the band.
Closing a limited company: your questions answered
Strike-off or MVL — how do I choose?
By the size of what's left: modest reserves extract fine ahead of a £92 strike-off. Larger reserves (the conversation starts around £25,000+) may do better through an MVL, where distributions are capital — potentially at 10% with Business Asset Disposal Relief — instead of dividend rates. We run your numbers and refer a licensed liquidator only when the saving clearly beats the cost.
What must be finished before applying for strike-off?
Trading ceased for three months, debts settled, final accounts and CT600 filed with corporation tax paid, VAT deregistered, payroll closed with final RTI, assets and cash distributed, and interested parties notified. HMRC objects to strike-offs with loose ends — our checklist exists because each of those items has stalled someone's closure.
Should I close, or make the company dormant instead?
Dormancy keeps the name, number and history alive for ~£130 a year in filings — right when you might trade again or the name has value. Closure is final and cheaper long-term. The honest test: if you can name a plausible scenario where you'd use the company within three years, go dormant; otherwise close it properly and be done.
What has to happen before the company can be struck off?
Stop trading (at least three months before applying), settle debts, close the bank account and take out any assets, and square up with HMRC — final accounts and corporation tax return filed. HMRC routinely objects to strike-offs where returns are missing, which stalls everything. Our checklist covers the lot before the DS01 goes in.
How long does dissolution take?
Companies House publishes a notice in The Gazette and must wait at least two months for objections; realistically the whole process runs two to three months from filing. We track it and deal with any objection rather than leaving you to find out the application quietly stalled.
My company hasn't traded — do I still need to file?
Yes. Even dormant companies must file accounts at Companies House and usually a confirmation statement. Our dormant package (£99) handles it all so you avoid penalties for a company that isn't even trading.
Which accounting standard will my accounts use?
Most small companies file micro-entity accounts under FRS 105 or small-company accounts under FRS 102 Section 1A. We pick the right one for your size and circumstances — it affects what's disclosed publicly at Companies House, and we'll explain the trade-offs.
Should I make my company dormant or close it down?
Dormant if there's a realistic chance you'll trade again or the name is worth keeping — the annual cost is small. Strike-off if it's genuinely finished, because dormancy's filings continue forever. It's a five-minute conversation and we'll give you a straight recommendation either way.
What happens to the trading I did earlier this year?
That period still needs final accounts and a corporation tax return — dormancy isn't retroactive. We'll quote the final accounts as a separate fixed fee so there's one clean line: trading before it, dormant after it.
What rate of corporation tax will my company pay?
19% on profits up to £50,000, 25% above £250,000, and marginal relief in between — an effective rate that climbs gradually. Associated companies split those thresholds, which catches many owners with more than one company. We calculate it precisely.
The payment is due before the return — is that right?
Yes, oddly: payment is due 9 months and 1 day after year end, but the return itself isn't due until 12 months. We prepare everything well before the payment date so you know the bill with time to plan.
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