GentongBet

If you’re a finance professional in the UK, you may have heard that big changes are afoot when it comes to filing with Companies House and HMRC.

But how will these changes affect your work and how well should you prepare?

To find out more, I sat down with my colleagues Nick Lloyd, Senior Product Manager, and Mark Elley, Pre-Sales Team Lead. They explained why these changes are happening and what some companies are already doing to fix them.

Why everything will change when filing with HMRC and Companies House

It’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. Until now, the depot followed the same routine, year after year. But today things are changing.

By March 2026,HMRC’s Common Filing service will be taken out of service. A year later, in spring 2027, Companies House will remove its online filing portal and stop accepting paper accounts altogether.

As a result, some existing accounting tools and workflows will no longer work. Filing will be by software only and you will need to have the right software or solution in place in time to comply.

Why are these changes happening now?

In short, it’s about fighting crime. The changes are anchored in the government’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA). This law was written to make business data more reliable, transparent and secure. As part of this, Companies House gains new powers to verify identities, eliminate fraud and ensure the reliability of information in the public register.

The truth is that criminals have infected the entire economic system, making life more difficult for law-abiding businesses. Nick Lloyd, senior product manager at IRIS, said: “Every person presented as a person with significant control (PSC), director or member of the LLP must genuinely be who they say they are.

“If inaccurate or fraudulent data enters the system, it has a cascading effect. This compromises the work of credit agencies and, in turn, affects banks’ decisions when lending money. By tackling the problem at the source, the entire chain, from the registry to financial institutions, benefits from more consistent and reliable data.”

What do the changes mean for you?

How are businesses like yours preparing for these changes?

Mark Elley revealed that some are eager to move forward, running new software alongside their old processes to see how they fit together. Others fear losing the convenience of their spreadsheets or the ease of sending a Word document to their auditor.

“Companies who are now coming to IRIS are doing so to understand what options exist and what requirements they will face,” he said.

He adds that others see opportunity in the changes. “With the shift to digital, finance teams can rethink their entire approach, not only to filing, but also in how they prepare, review and submit accounts. Some organizations are using this transition as an opportunity to streamline, automate and even gain more control over their data,” he said.

Finally, time is running out

What these organizations have in common is that they act. They realize that it may take some time for their business cases to be validated, their software integrated, and their training completed. But starting now means that when the changes happen, everything will be in place.

Here’s the bottom line: As far as we know, there will be no grace period. Late or non-compliant filings will result in fines and penalties. And as Nick warned, there will be no grace period. “When change happens, it will be like flipping a switch,” he said. “In a moment, the old way of doing things will be gone. »

How to get started?

Your first steps should be to

• Review your current processes
• explore software options
• familiarize your team with the new requirements.

It works: Companies that move to dedicated software see a range of benefits, from smoother audits to more reliable compliance.

Above all, remember that you don’t have to go it alone. Whether you choose to outsource, bring things in-house, or use a hybrid approach, there are solutions (and support) available.

Ready to dive deeper?

If you want to hear more real-life stories and practical tips, I highly recommend watching our dedicated webinar. It’s full of stories from people who are helping organizations like yours through this transition.

Learn more about:

• Strategic options: consider whether to manage accounts production in-house using commercial software or hire an accountant, with practical advice provided for each approach.

• Assess your readiness: Learn how to assess your existing processes and prepare for future actions.

• Develop a clear action plan: Come away with a useful checklist that will help you steer your business toward compliance.

About our webinar speakers

You’ve already heard the speakers, Nick and Mark, on this blog; here is the level of insight they bring:

Nick Lloyd is a Senior Product Manager at IRIS Software Group, with over two decades of work in software product management and accounting practices. He now leads innovation in IRIS’s account production and compliance solutions.

Mark Elley is a pre-sales team leader at IRIS Software Group, where he has worked for over ten years. With a strong background in SaaS and business relationship management, Mark is passionate about customer service excellence.

Watch the webinar now