A simple compliance calendar for busy directors

Here at Agile Accountants we work with limited companies across the UK that want to stay compliant without spending their evenings reading HMRC guidance. This simple compliance calendar is designed for exactly that type of busy director.

If you are a company director, you already know there are a lot of plates to keep spinning- clients, team, cash flow, product, marketing. Somewhere in that mix sit HMRC and Companies House deadlines, quietly waiting to cause problems if you miss them.

The UK rules for limited companies are not designed around busy founders. Different taxes have different timetables, and the deadlines rarely line up neatly. Annual accounts are usually due 9 months after the year end, but Corporation Tax payments are due 9 months and 1 day after the end of your accounting period, and the Corporation Tax return itself has its own 12 month deadline.

On top of that, VAT returns are typically due one calendar month and 7 days after the VAT period ends, and PAYE payments for payroll are due by the 22nd of the following month if you pay electronically. It is no wonder directors can feel somewhat overwhelmed.

The core deadlines every UK limited company director must know 

Before we map out a calendar, it helps to know what you are actually scheduling.

Companies house accounts

Private limited companies normally have 9 months from the end of their financial year to file accounts at Companies House.

Miss the deadline and automatic penalties apply, increasing the longer you are late.

Corporation tax return and payment

Your company must:

• File a Corporation Tax return (CT600) with HMRC, usually within 12 months of the end of the accounting period.
• Pay Corporation Tax 9 months and 1 day after the end of that accounting period, if your taxable profits are below the instalment thresholds.

These dates are easily confused, so they are perfect candidates for calendar reminders.

VAT returns and payments

If your company is registered for VAT, you usually need to submit VAT returns every quarter. The standard deadline is one calendar month and 7 days after the end of your VAT accounting period, and that is also normally the payment deadline.

PAYE, National Insurance and payroll

If you have employees or pay yourself a salary through PAYE, then:

• Real Time Information (RTI) submissions are due on or before each pay day.
• PAYE and National Insurance must reach HMRC by the 22nd of the following month if you pay electronically (or by the 19th if you pay by post).

There are also year-end tasks such as issuing P60s by 31 May and filing P11D forms by 6 July for certain benefits.

Self Assessment for directors

Many directors also need to file a personal Self Assessment tax return. For online returns, the standard deadline is 31 January following the end of the tax year, and any tax owed is usually due on the same date.

If you make payments on account, there may also be a second payment due in July.

Other common deadlines 

Depending on your business, you may also have:

• Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) monthly returns and payments.
• Auto enrolment pension duties, including ongoing contribution payments and re declaration of compliance.
• Annual confirmation statement filings with Companies House, usually due every 12 months.

The details will vary, but the theme is the same: a lot of deadlines, spread through the year.

A simple compliance calendar for busy directors 

You cannot change the deadlines, but you can make them predictable and manageable. Here is a simple way to organise your year as a UK limited company director.

Monthly checklist

Use this monthly checklist if your business has employees, pays PAYE or files monthly VAT.

Every month:

Payroll and PAYE

• Run payroll on your chosen pay date.
• File RTI submissions on or before payment to staff.
• Pay PAYE and National Insurance to HMRC by the 22nd of the following month if paying electronically.

Bookkeeping

• Reconcile your bank accounts and credit cards in cloud software such as Xero.
• Upload and code receipts and supplier invoices.
• Check director loan accounts and intercompany balances.

Cash flow review

• Review the cash position now and projected for the next 4 to 8 weeks.
• Identify any upcoming VAT or tax payments and set money aside.

If this feels like a lot, it is the kind of routine Agile Accountants can handle for you so you get a simple summary each month rather than a long to do list.

Quarterly checklist 

Most VAT registered companies file quarterly, and many directors find a quarterly rhythm works well for more detailed reviews.

Every quarter:

VAT

• Finalise bookkeeping for the VAT quarter.
• Review VAT coding and any one off transactions.
• Submit VAT return and pay VAT due by one calendar month and 7 days after the quarter end.

Management accounts

• Review profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow for the quarter.
• Compare actual performance to your budget or forecast.
• Identify upcoming Corporation Tax and dividend capacity.

Directors meeting

• Hold a short board or directors meeting, even if it is just you and a co-founder.
• Note key decisions, risks and actions.

This is also a sensible point to check you are on track for annual filings and to speak with your accountant if anything unexpected is emerging.

Annual compliance by month

Every business has a different year end, so absolute dates will vary. Use the pattern below as a template, then overlay your own year end and deadlines.

Month 1: Financial year end

• Close the books for the year in your accounting system.
• Gather any missing invoices, contracts or bank statements.
• Share information with your accountant so they can start preparing accounts and tax computations.

Months 2 to 3: Post year end review

• Review draft accounts with your accountant.
• Discuss tax planning opportunities before accounts are finalised.
• Agree on dividends, bonuses or other distributions in line with available profits.

This early review window is important. Do not wait until month 8 or 9 when the filing deadline is looming.

Months 4 to 6: Finalise and file planning

• Make sure annual accounts are finalised well before the 9 month deadline for filing with Companies House.
• Confirm the expected Corporation Tax bill and when it is due to be paid, typically 9 months and 1 day after the year end.
• Build these dates into your cash flow forecast.

Months 7 to 9: Filing deadlines

For a typical private company:

By month 9 after year end

• File annual accounts with Companies House.

By 9 months and 1 day after year end

• Pay Corporation Tax due.

By 12 months after year end

• Ensure Corporation Tax return (CT600) is filed with HMRC.

Many companies aim to complete all of these earlier, but these are the latest dates you can leave them without penalties.

Throughout the tax year: personal and other deadlines

Alongside all of this, keep an eye on:

• 31 January each year: deadline for filing online Self Assessment tax returns and paying any balancing personal tax for the previous tax year.
• 31 July where applicable: second payments on account for some taxpayers.
• Your annual confirmation statement deadline with Companies House.
• Any sector specific deadlines such as CIS returns or pension re enrolment dates.

How Agile Accountants turn deadlines into a simple calendar 

A simple compliance calendar for busy directors is not just a list of dates. It is a way of working.

For Agile Accountants clients, particularly owner managed and fast growth limited companies, we typically:

• Map out all statutory deadlines at the onboarding stage, based on your year end, VAT quarters and payroll cycle.
• Use cloud tools such as Xero and integrated apps to keep bookkeeping and payroll up to date through the year.
• Prepare accounts and tax well ahead of deadlines to avoid last minute surprises.
• Combine compliance work with advisory conversations around cash flow, funding, hiring and remuneration.

Because we are based in Birmingham city centre but work with clients across the UK, almost everything can be done digitally, with scheduled check ins rather than ad hoc panic calls.

For you as a director, that means fewer deadlines to remember and more clarity about what is coming up and how it will affect cash.

Turning this into your own compliance calendar 

To turn this into a practical tool:

1. List all of your company specific dates

1. • Year end.
   • VAT period ends.
   • Payroll dates.
   • Confirmation statement deadline.
   • Pension staging or re enrolment dates.
   • Any sector specific filing requirements.

1. Work backwards from each statutory deadline

• Add reminders one month and two weeks before each annual filing deadline.
• Add reminders one week before each monthly or quarterly payment date.
• Allow extra time if you know you will need internal approvals.

1. Use one master calendar

• Use Outlook, Google Calendar or project management software.
• Colour code director duties, finance team tasks and accountant tasks.
• Share the calendar with your accountant so they can help manage it.

1. Review the calendar at least quarterly

• Check for changes in law or guidance.
• Update for changes in your business, such as new VAT schemes, expansion overseas or funding rounds.