A firm pays for year-end filing with credits. One credit covers one client’s accounting period: the CT600, the Companies House accounts and any amendments to either. You buy credits in advance, they are shared across every client, and they do not expire.
Active and Dormant credits
- An Active credit files a period for a trading client.
- A Dormant credit files a period that is marked as dormant. It is cheaper, and it cannot be used for a trading period.
The two balances are separate. Open Firm Settings and choose Credits to see them.
Buying credits
Click Buy credits. Active credits come in packs; the bigger the pack, the less each credit costs.
| Pack | Active credits | Price, + VAT | Per credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | 1 | £10 | £10 |
| Starter | 25 | £200 | £8 |
| Practice | 100 | £600 | £6 |
| Growth | 250 | £1,250 | £5 |
| Scale | 500 | £2,000 | £4 |
| Enterprise | 1,000 | £3,000 | £3 |
Dormant credits are £2 + VAT each, in any quantity.
Choose a pack, pay on Stripe’s page, and the credits are in your balance when you return. Packs add up: buying a second pack adds to what is left of the first.
When a credit is used
A credit is used the first time anyone opens Corp Tax Submission or Companies House Submission for a client’s period. That includes the client, if they have their own login.
- It is one credit for the period, not one for each filing. Opening the second submission, sending again after a rejection, or filing an amendment uses nothing more.
- Preparing is free. Trial balance, accounts, computation, working papers and document previews do not use a credit.
- The oldest credits are used first.
- A dormant period takes a Dormant credit; any other period takes an Active credit. One kind cannot stand in for the other.
Heads up — the credit is used when the submission screen is opened, not when the return is sent. Open it when you are ready to file.
If you run out
With no credit of the right kind, opening a client’s submission takes you to the Credits page instead, with a message saying which kind you need. Buy a pack and open the submission again.
Purchase and consumption history
Purchase history lists every pack with the date, the credits bought, how many are left and the price paid including VAT. Gift and referral credits appear here too, at £0.00.
Consumption history lists every credit used: the date, the client and its reference, the period, the kind of credit and which filing was opened first. Use it to recharge clients or to check a balance that looks wrong.
If a period changes between dormant and trading
A credit is tied to the kind of period it was used for. If a period is switched from dormant to trading, or the other way, after its credit was used, that credit is shown as Forfeited in the consumption history and the next time the submission is opened a credit of the other kind is used. Check the dormant setting before you open the submission.
Common questions
Do credits expire?
No.
Are clients charged anything?
No. A company managed by your firm is never asked for the submission fee. What you charge your clients is up to you.
Does an amended return use another credit?
No. The credit covers the period, including amended accounts and amended returns.
Can I use a Dormant credit for a small trading company?
No. Dormant credits only work for periods marked as dormant.
Can I get a refund for credits I have not used?
Contact support with the purchase date. Refunds are handled case by case.
Do credits cover VAT returns?
No. VAT and MTD for Income Tax are covered by the firm’s subscription: see Subscription, card and invoices.
I have a code for free credits. Where does it go?
In Redeem a code on the Credits page: see Gift codes and referral codes.