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Imagine running a profitable business, making millions in revenue, but ending up in court because you missed a single filing deadline. As an accountant, your job is not just tracking money — you are the legal shield protecting a company from massive fines and regulatory closure.
In the UK, every registered business must answer to two separate statutory bodies: Companies House (the public registry of companies) and HMRC (His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, the UK tax authority).
How do these two authorities divide their power, and what laws give them teeth?

The Statutory Framework: Companies Act 2006

A statutory obligation is any legal duty required by formal legislation rather than a private contract. The core legislation governing UK firms is the Companies Act 2006, which sets strict standards for financial record-keeping and public reporting.
Under Section 393 of this Act, directors and accountants cannot approve financial statements unless they present a true and fair view — meaning the accounts are free from material bias and accurately reflect the company's real financial state.
Filing with Companies House gives the public and investors transparency, but what about the money owed to the state?

HMRC Tax Reporting Obligations

Accountants must manage three distinct tax reporting streams for HMRC: Corporation Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT), and PAYE (Pay As You Earn).
Corporation Tax is calculated on taxable trading profits using form CT600. Unlike personal income tax, a company must calculate its own tax bill under a system known as self-assessment.
VAT is a consumption tax charged on taxable supplies by registered businesses (mandatory once taxable turnover exceeds £90,000). Through the UK's Making Tax Digital (MTD) rules, accountants must submit quarterly digital VAT records directly through API-enabled software.