Small Business Guides / UK small business compliance

Small Business Compliance Calendar UK

Build a calendar around your business’s actual filing dates, registrations and people. There is no single deadline list that fits every UK business.

Start with a deadline register

Use these columns in your planner: obligation, authority, period covered, due date, owner, preparation date and evidence of completion. Put the official deadline in one place, then set reminders early enough to collect missing records.

Company accounts and tax are separate jobs

For a typical private company, annual accounts are due at Companies House nine months after the financial year ends. Corporation Tax is usually payable nine months and one day after the relevant tax accounting period ends, while the Company Tax Return deadline is twelve months. First accounts and unusual accounting periods need separate checks.

Also record the company’s confirmation-statement review and filing dates. Do not assume the accounts deadline covers that filing.

Check these categories

• Tax: Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT, payroll and any payments on account that apply.
• Company: accounts, confirmation statement and changes to registered details.
• People: payroll runs, training, qualifications and relevant workplace reviews.
• Permissions: licences, registrations and insurance renewal dates.
• Information: privacy reviews, retention checks and any data-protection fee renewal.

A practical monthly routine

At month-end, review the next ninety days. Assign an owner to each deadline, confirm access to the filing service and check that the underlying records are ready. Save the submission receipt, not just a tick in the calendar.

When someone joins, the business moves premises or you launch a new activity, review the calendar again. These changes can introduce obligations outside the normal annual cycle.

Use the month-end bookkeeping checklist, records guide and Polar Planner to turn dates into assigned work.

Explore Polar’s business tools or the connected business software for the next practical step.