The end of paper company tax returns
The introduction of mandatory online filing of Company Tax Returns begins on 1 April 2011. This change affects all company tax returns with accounting periods ending after 31 March 2010.
As a consequence of the changeover from paper returns to online returns HMRC are to cease sending the‘Notice to deliver a Company Tax Return’ (CT603), paper return forms (CT600) and accompanying guidance (CT600-Guide) from 1 July 2010. Paper versions of the company tax returns are currently sent to companies and organisations that don’t have a tax agent or advisor or who don’t use an approved substitute form.
It will still be possible to download the ‘paper’ forms from HRMC’s website after 1 July 2010. Such returns will need to be submitted before 1 April 2011 for accounting periods ending after 31 March 2010.
Companies and organisations that are still submitting paper returns are advised to familiarise themselves with the available online filing options which includes HMRC’s own software as well as commercial software.
There will only be two exemptions from online filing namely where the directors and company secretary are all practising members of a religious society whose beliefs are incompatible with the use of electronic methods of communication and a company or organisation that is subject to a ‘winding-up order’.