Statutory accounts software or spreadsheets and Word templates?
Spreadsheets and Word templates can produce correct statutory accounts, but every figure, note and statement is typed and checked by hand, and they cannot produce the iXBRL file that Companies House will require from 1 April 2028. Accounts software builds the statements from the trial balance, keeps the notes tied to the figures and applies the size and filing rules.
Key facts
| From 1 April 2028 | Accounts filed at Companies House only by commercial software, in iXBRL |
|---|---|
| Since 31 March 2026 | Company Tax Returns only through commercial software |
| Spreadsheet risk | Figures in the notes, statements and comparatives maintained separately |
| Software approach | Statements and notes calculated from one set of mapped balances |
| Status | Trial balance import, CT600 module and iXBRL output in preparation; accounts prepared for filing, not submitted |
As at 25 October 2026.
Side by side
| Spreadsheet and Word template | Statutory accounts software | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Trial balance copied in by hand | Trial balance imported and mapped to the line items |
| Formats and captions | As good as the template | The Companies Act formats in their statutory order |
| Company size | Worked out separately | Calculated from the figures, with the two-year rule |
| Notes | Typed; amounts copied from the statements | Amounts linked to the statements |
| Comparatives | Copied from last year's file | Carried forward or taken from the filed accounts |
| 2026 FRS 102 changes | Template must be updated by you | Built into the notes and policies |
| Review and approval | Email and version names | Comments, changes and approval recorded |
| Filing at Companies House from 2028 | Not possible without other software (iXBRL) | Software filing in iXBRL, where the software supports it |
| Cost | No licence; your time | A price per set of accounts |
When a spreadsheet is enough
For a company with simple, stable figures and someone who knows the formats, a well-built template can work, at least until 31 March 2028. The weak points are the copying: a late adjustment that changes the balance sheet but not the note, a comparative that no longer matches the filed accounts, or last year's size class carried forward when the thresholds changed in April 2025.
From 1 April 2028 the template is no longer enough on its own: the accounts must reach Companies House as an iXBRL file from commercial software. For the Corporation Tax return that has been the case since HMRC's free service closed on 31 March 2026.
How StatutoryAccounts.io compares
StatutoryAccounts.io is built to start from the trial balance export of your bookkeeping software, map it with AI suggestions you confirm, and build the balance sheet, profit and loss account and notes by fixed calculations, with the size class, framework and statements applied. You still review and approve everything. The price is per set of accounts: £129 for a micro-entity and £199 for a small company, excluding VAT, and the first set in an account is free.
If you keep a spreadsheet, the small company accounts example shows how the figures should reconcile, and the trial balance spreadsheet template shows the layout accounts software expects.
Frequently asked questions
Can I prepare statutory accounts in Excel?
Yes, the law does not prescribe the tool. But the accounts must follow the Companies Act formats and standards, and from 1 April 2028 they must be filed at Companies House as iXBRL through commercial software.
Can I file accounts I made in Word at Companies House?
Until 31 March 2028 you can file them on paper, or type them into Companies House's web service where it is available to the company. From 1 April 2028 the web and paper services close for accounts.
Is software more accurate than a spreadsheet?
It removes copying between the statements and notes and applies the rules consistently. It does not remove the need to check the trial balance and approve the accounts.
Sources
- Companies House: update to accounts filing from April 2028 (23 October 2026)
- Companies House: using software to file your company's information
- HMRC: closure of the service to file your company accounts and tax return
- The Small Companies and Groups (Accounts and Directors' Report) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/409), Schedule 1
- The Companies (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/1303)
Prepare your statutory accounts
Create an account and set up your company from the Companies House register; your first set of accounts is free. The trial balance import and the CT600 are in preparation.
Join the waitlistGeneral information about UK company law and tax, not legal or tax advice. The directors remain responsible for the accounts and returns they approve and file.