After filing: CT600 and Companies House status explained

1. What each status means

Pending

Wait for the final response. Reopen the filing record to check progress. Do not submit a duplicate just because processing is unfinished.

Accepted

Keep the receipt and documents. Use View or Download. If the accepted figures need correcting, follow the amendment guide.

Rejected

Read and correct the stated problem. Use the action on that filing record to retry the affected destination, then check its new outcome.

• Pending: the filing was received for processing but no final decision has arrived.
• Accepted: the regulator has accepted that part of the filing.
• Rejected: the regulator did not accept that part. Correct the stated problem before resubmitting.

HMRC and Companies House process independently. When you file both, one may be accepted while the other is still pending or needs correction.

A completed processing job is not an acceptance receipt. A generated preview has not been filed. If your accounts period needs two CT600 returns, check the response for each return separately. An “accounts already on record” response is not a new acceptance of the duplicate submission.

If you edit figures after reviewing them, review the updated figures before filing. If you reviewed generated draft documents, generate and check fresh copies after the edit. This keeps your filing consistent with what you approved, without asking you to prove your figures.

2. Pending does not mean rejected

“Acceptance not confirmed for this submission” can also appear on an older filing when we cannot match its acceptance receipt to that particular submission. It does not mean the authority rejected the filing or that its actual acceptance has changed. Check your saved receipts or contact support. Do not submit again just because an older receipt cannot be matched.

A pending result means we have not yet confirmed a final acceptance or rejection from the gateway. Your filing page shows the latest recorded response. Customer outcome emails are reserved for an HMRC acceptance or rejection, not internal status-checking limits. Do not file the same documents again simply because a public register or HMRC account has not updated immediately.

Companies House and HMRC records can take time to reflect an accepted filing. Keep the receipt and reference shown in your filing history. If the status remains pending for an unusually long time, contact support with the filing reference rather than starting another filing.

3. Accepted is your filing record

A future accounts deadline does not prove that previous accounts were filed. Check the filing history and the relevant receipt. A passed deadline remains overdue while a draft is in progress. You can check the public record through Companies House. Acceptance and publication are separate, and technical acceptance does not mean HMRC has agreed every tax treatment.

An accepted status is the confirmation that the regulator accepted the filing. Open the filing record to download the submitted documents and receipt details. For a CT600, the record includes the HMRC reference information such as the IRmark where available. For accounts, it includes the Companies House submission references.

If you need to change an accepted return, do not submit the original filing again. Use the amendment process instead.

4. If it is rejected

Read the rejection message first. It should identify whether the issue is with the data, the filing dates or the credentials. Correct it and resubmit the affected destination. A rejected filing was not accepted, so this is not an amendment.

For HMRC login or enrolment issues, read how to correct Government Gateway details. For an accepted return that needs a factual correction, use the CT600 amendment process.