A guide on how to submit accounts to companieshouse?

Guest007

Good morning,

Can somebody be so kind and write a step by step guide on how to submit accounts to companieshouse. Or please start a small discussions on submitting companieshouse. I believe it will be really helpful for new accountants trainee like myself.

Please use “System used VT Transaction+ with accounts”

Eager to read on this issue….

stefanboro

Essentially you will only have to submit abbreviated accounts to companies house as I doubt your client would meet the requirements of a statutory audit. VT Final accounts has a spiffing template for this.

You can, I believe, either submit the accounts online by registering your client with the CoHo PROOF scheme or in the post.

Detailed guidance is in chapter 5 of this link:

http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gp2.shtml#ch5

Hope that helps

stefanboro

Oh, also, don't forget to do the annual return if it has not already been done.

Guest

Guest007 wrote: »

Can somebody be so kind and write a step by step guide on how to submit accounts to companieshouse. ….

I believe VT have already done this, AKA the instruction manual

Guest007

Thank you stefanboro for your reply. I really appreciate your help and patience with my silly question.

Guest, is it the best you can do?... refering to the manual? Please give me the link to which version you'r talking about and page number...

I have explained my situation before. I am not an experienced accoutant and I am not claiming to be one.

Please stop picking on me directly or indirectly. When you answer my question, I hope you will be kind enough.

I hope my dearest Jenny and Ian will contribute something here.

Ta

burg

I use Digita so am unfamiliar with VT final accounts. Not sure on what Accounts VTT+ can produce for filing purposes? I'm sure however that VT final accounts will have a template.

Personally I try to use the companies house template for online filing where possible.

1. sign up for webfiling
2. log in enter the company you wish to file for plus the companies authentication code (this can be ordered form here if you don't have it)
3. Select audit exempt abbreviated accounts from the list.
4. go though the screen to download the PDF template.
5. Fill out the appropriate boxes to match the abbreviated accounts from your accounts production.
6. Use the check boxes within the document to ensure it balances
7. on final sheet choose pre-submission checks.
8. file to CH and re-enter auth code.

If filing on paper send a non-draft signed set of abbreviated accounts to CH in Cardiff.

Guest007

Thank you so much Ian for giving me some of your valuable time from your busy day schedule.

I am defenitely learning from your post. I am very sure there are others getting help by reading your reply, who is shy to ask silly questions here.

I will follow those steps and I will see how far I can go.

Ta

burg

There is also a system for joint filing with HMRC and CH but I don't know how this works or how good it is??? There is this option on the CH webfiling after you have logged in.

payrollpro

Burg,

I have used the joint filing process several times and it's like everything else, the first time you go on to HMRC and use their software to file the accounts it is a nightmare, it seems so heavy handed and involved and you spend ages constantly altering the figures to make it balance. Eventually you realise that HMRC's terminology is not exactly the same as ours and in order to satisfy the "tagging" requirements there are some funny titles.

However, having used it a few times now I can get through it quite swiftly and by ticking the joint filing box I know that when I walk away my returns, and my clients ones are both done, HMRC and Coy House simultaneously and that is where, for me, the certainty, consistency and simplicity work.

It doesn't suit everyone but as far as I can see you cannot dip your toe in the water and test it, you have to be ready to do it all, or not at all. That's a shame because until you try it you don't know if it works for you and the client.

Payrollpro

Guest

Guest007 wrote: »

I will follow those steps and I will see how far I can go.

My monies on not far….

You say you are not a MIP yet still post here, you wish to file the accounts, also you want us to give you ideas of what fees you should charge. If you are not a MIP your manager/ partner should be doing this - not us. You clearly are not in a position to be completing MLR forms as your post last week.

If you are a MIP you are exactly the type of person who creates red tape for everyone else due to incompetence. We will soon face further compliance for the renewal of licences whilst the Association try to sort the wheat from the chaff.

For your reference the VT manual is within the software.

Guest007

Thanks payrollpro for your kind participation in this post.

Guest, I requested you before. Please do not reply my post if you cannot say anything helpful rather attacking me verbally.

May I humbly request you again please ignore all my post?

I don’t have enough time to argue with you or explain unnecessary things to you.

I hope you will mind your own business and stay away from my post… again if you ever charge your mind to reply my post with some reasonable answers, you are more than welcome.

But please do not reply in my post if you think you are becoming big by attacking me.

burg

@payroll pro - thanks for the info on joint filing. Don't think I will bother getting into all that as it is far simpler with Digita even if it is a little slow at the moment.

Hopefully one day we can file straight to CH too but as they have recently announced they are waiting before bringing in iXBRL that may be some way off yet...

Rozzi Rainbow

Unless it's very close to the deadline, I always prefer to send the accounts by post, it seems so much easier than the online filing. It seems daft having to retype all the figures already produced by the accounting software, it would be so much easier if we could just file straight from software!

Monsoon

Guest007: I don't think Guest is trying to be "big by attacking" you. This is a public forum and everyone is entitled to their opinion and you can't expect someone not to post their opinion.

There is a good deal of concern that MIPs are being licensed without having the requisite knowledge. This is partially why the MIP scheme is changing and people will now be either registered on the scheme (a bit like a provisional license) for up to 2 years, or fully licenced.

It can be frustrating when people ask simple questions that could easily be answered by reading the manual or a quick google. Equally if you are employed, I worry about the kind of employer who isn't approachable to ask these questions - I'd hate to think my staff were asking on forums instead of asking me, especially for basic stuff. If you're a student member doing work on your own, then while I understand we've all got to get experience somewhere, please do be aware that you must only undertake work that is within your competence.

To be fair, if someone can produce a set of accounts, but just isn't sure of the right way to get them to CoHo (i.e. a practice administration issue as opposed to a technical one), I don't see that as so much of a problem. We've all got holes in our knowledge somewhere. The thing with questions on forums is we don't always know what a poster does know - only what they don't know, and how they've asked the question, which may or may not indicate a greater or lesser level of knowledge than reality.

Given that these forums are public, though I doubt prospective clients look on here, this is a shop window for the AAT and to have questions like these from non-MIPs in the Members In Practice forum does not show AAT members in the best light. These questions would be better suited to another area of the forum, IMHO. For those MIPs who are relative 'newbies,' I do think it is very important that they phrase their questions in a way that doesn't indicate a complete lack of knowledge of the basics; posters should not tempt a response like "omg you should know that" and can avert this by thinking about how to present their questions.

However, as you know, I'm still happy to answer questions, 'silly,' basic, or not. I was there once. I still ask basic questions sometimes if I come across something new, or something I've not done for years and want to double check.

And to answer the OP, I use CoHo's own abbreviated PDF and just copy the figures from the accounts I produce in VT. It takes about 3 minutes to file them. I am far too scared to look into joint filing, I'd much rather stick to CoHo's pdf and my tax software.

Bluewednesday

Rozzi Rainbow wrote: »

Unless it's very close to the deadline, I always prefer to send the accounts by post, it seems so much easier than the online filing. It seems daft having to retype all the figures already produced by the accounting software, it would be so much easier if we could just file straight from software!

I file straight from PTP accounts production software.

It's no extra work. Just press the button and it shows up on the Companies House website within a minute.

Monsoon

Bluewednesday wrote: »

I file straight from PTP accounts production software.

It's no extra work. Just press the button and it shows up on the Companies House website within a minute.

I'll be delighted when VT bring in this function! Can't complain too much though about the current method.

Bluewednesday

I must admit, I saw it had the option but didn't use it until I had one that wasn't near its deadline incase it went wrong!!!!

However now I file every one that way!

Rozzi Rainbow

Bluewednesday wrote: »

I file straight from PTP accounts production software.

It's no extra work. Just press the button and it shows up on the Companies House website within a minute.

That's good to know some software lets you file online, as far as I'm aware ours doesn't yet but hopefully it won't be too far away!

MoneySavingBank

my little contribution

Good Morning,

It is nice to see your question is already answered here. Please see my little contribution below:
http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/wfAccountsUserGuide.pdf

You might find the below link helpful as well:
http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/webfiling/webFilingAccountsUserGuide.shtml

Further reading: life of a company
http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/pdf/gp2.pdf

I am sure after reading the above three links, you will get a better idea about CoHo's requirement and how to deal with that.

Regards,

MSB

Peter Rutherford

On another subject, I am getting this error message: "You have been logged out because the system has been inactive, or the login is already being used". Can anyone suggest how to get beyonde it? Thanks.