Company accounts by software only from April 2028: what Companies House requires

acrenvo.com/guides/company-accounts-software-only-from-april-2028, last reviewed 31 October 2026

From 1 April 2028, all companies must file their accounts using commercial software. This applies to companies who file accounts themselves, and companies who use a professional (such as an accountant) to file their accounts. Companies House looked at its plans for that date again in an update on 23 October 2026, and of the software requirement it said: “This requirement is going ahead as planned.”

Tom is fictional. He is the only director of a small company that sells handmade furniture, and he prepares and files its accounts himself through the Companies House website. He has heard that this route is closing and wants to know when, what he will need instead, and whether anything else about his accounts is changing at the same time. This guide sets out what Companies House has said so far.

What Companies House is changing

Companies House also says what happens to its other routes on that date.

For Tom, the practical meaning is that the web route he uses today stops working for accounts on 1 April 2028. Accounts he files after that date, including any corrected version of an earlier set, will need to go through software. If you are curious how many companies file the way Tom does today, our monthly counts of the software used to file company accounts show the share that comes through Companies House’s own service.

What iXBRL is, and why it matters here

Software is only part of the requirement. The accounts also have to arrive in a particular format, and the update puts it like this: “As announced earlier this year, from April 2028, we will require all UK registered companies to file their accounts in Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language (iXBRL) format using commercial software.”

Companies House describes the format in its guidance on software filing. This is a worldwide technical standard that combines HTML with machine readable ‘tags’. It allows documents to be read by both machines and humans. In practice, the figures in the accounts carry labels that a computer can read as well as a person.

What you need before you file

Companies House lists the steps for a company that files its own accounts. You will need to:

• know what type of accounts you’re filing - you can ask a professional for advice
• find suitable software for the type of accounts you need to file
• contact your chosen software providers and consider changing to software filing as soon as possible
• make sure your chosen software is in place before 1 April 2028

Its guidance also lists what any software filing needs from the company itself. To file company documents using software, you’ll need:

• your company authentication code
• to apply for a presenter account - you’ll get a presenter ID and code
• to apply for a Companies House credit account (if you need to file documents with a fee)

The guide to micro-entity and small company accounts works out, from the year end, which accounts will be the first to go through software.

To find software, Companies House runs its own search tool, which you can filter by the type of accounts you file. Companies House does not endorse or recommend particular products. Contact providers directly for support or guidance.

• Companies House’s tool for finding software to file accounts

If someone else files for you

Plenty of directors already pay an accountant to file, and for them the change mostly happens behind the scenes. Companies House still reminds directors where responsibility sits. If you do not want to buy commercial software, you can hire a professional (such as an accountant) to file on your behalf. A professional can help you file and stay compliant - but you’re still legally responsible for your company’s accounts, records and performance.

If you are in that position, the useful question to ask is whether the person who files for you is ready for the new format before the date arrives.

Other accounts changes on the same date, and one that is paused

Software-only filing is one part of a wider set of accounts reforms. Companies House’s update lists three more under the heading “Other accounts filing changes from April 2028”:

• A strengthened eligibility statement for all companies claiming an audit exemption
• A requirement to file component parts of accounts and reports together
• A limit to how many times a company can shorten its accounting reference period

The same update changed the part of the plan that mattered most to a company like Tom’s. GOV.UK had said in an earlier story that small companies and micro-entities would have to file a profit and loss account, and that abridged accounts would go. On 23 October 2026 it replaced that story, and the update says: “Following the recommendations of the Small Business Regulatory Taskforce, the government has decided to pause implementing the requirement for small companies and micro-entities to file profit and loss accounts with Companies House from April 2028.”

That means Tom keeps the choices he has today. GOV.UK says that if your company is small, a micro entity or dormant, you might be able to send simpler (‘abridged’) accounts. The update spells out what the pause means in practice: “In practical terms, this means the government will continue to allow companies to file abridged accounts and retain the option for smaller companies to remove, or ‘fillet’, their profit and loss information from the accounts filed at Companies House after 1 April 2028.”

The pause has a purpose, because the government wants to look at how the Companies House and HMRC filings fit together. In the update’s words: “During this pause, the government will explore options for streamlining Companies House and HMRC filing processes, under the ‘tell Government once’ ambition.” GOV.UK has not said how long the pause will last.

What stays the same

The rest of what a company files with Companies House is not part of this change. Companies House web filing services will remain available and fully supported for non-accounts filings, including confirmation statements and updates to director details.

The tax side is separate as well. HMRC already asks for the Company Tax Return through software, since its own free service closed, and the guide to filing after HMRC’s service closed covers that change. Some of the company filing products we compare do both jobs. Some commercial software will also allow you to file with HMRC at the same time. Check with your software provider for more information. You may have different deadlines for sending your accounts to Companies House and your Company Tax Return to HMRC.

Questions about filing accounts by software only