The Ultimate Year End Accounting Checklist for UK Limited Companies (Including Amazon Sellers)

If you are a UK limited company director, completing your year end accounting checklist probably isn’t your favourite time of year. Between running your business, managing staff, and keeping customers happy, gathering financial records for your accountant can feel like a daunting chore.

However, being organized at year end doesn’t just keep you compliant with Companies House and HMRC—it saves you money, prevents costly late-filing penalties (which can easily exceed £1,500), and helps your accountant minimize your Corporation Tax bill.

Whether you run a local service business or a high-volume Amazon store, this comprehensive checklist covers exactly what you need to give your accountant to prepare your statutory accounts and CT600 tax return.

1. The Basics: Bank, Credit & Loans

Your accountant needs to reconcile your accounts to the penny. To do this, they need a clear picture of cash moving in and out of the business.

• Bank Statements: Provide statements for the full accounting period in CSV or Excel format, plus a PDF statement for the final month of your financial year.
• Credit Card Statements: If you have a business credit card in the company’s name, download statements for the full year, plus the statement showing transactions up to or immediately after your year end date.
• Loans & Financing: Provide statements for any business loans, Bounce Back Loans, or Hire Purchase agreements covering the accounting year.

2. Your Primary Year End Accounting Checklist for Income

We need to record all revenue generated during the year, even if the cash hasn’t hit your bank account yet.

• Sales Records: Gather your sales invoices, till reports, or statements from payment processors (like Stripe, PayPal, or SumUp).
• Unpaid Customer Invoices (Debtors): Provide a list of customers who owed you money for invoices issued up to your year end date, including the exact amounts owed.

3. Expenses, Assets & Money You Owe (Creditors)

Claiming all allowable expenses is the best way to reduce your tax bill. Don’t leave money on the table!

• Unpaid Suppliers (Creditors): Provide a list confirming the supplier name, amount, and nature of the transaction for any bills dated up to your year end that were still unpaid.
• General Stock: If you hold physical stock, we need the total cost value (not sales value) of your unsold stock up to the end of your financial year.
• Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Provide invoices/receipts for business costs paid via personal accounts or cash. This includes travel, telephone, business mileage, and subsistence costs (food eaten during visits to clients or suppliers).
• Use of Home: Let your accountant know if they should apply the standard £6 per week HMRC allowance for running your business from home.
• Assets & Equipment: Send invoices for any laptops, phones, desks, or machinery purchased, and confirm how they were paid for (cash, personal card, or business card).
• First-Year Costs: If this is your first year of trading, provide invoices for costs paid prior to officially starting the business, such as course fees or software.

4. Payroll, Dividends & Related Parties

There are strict statutory disclosure rules regarding how money is distributed to directors and shareholders.

• Payroll: If you have employees and your accountant does not process your payroll, provide your payroll summaries (P32s) for the year.
• Dividends: Provide details of any dividends paid to shareholders during the year.
• Other Companies: If you (or an associate like a spouse, child, sibling, or business partner) own other companies, you must declare the company names, ownership percentages, and any shared resources or financial support (loans) between the businesses.

5. The E-Commerce Special: Amazon Sellers

If your business sells via Amazon, standard bookkeeping rules don’t always apply cleanly. Amazon Seller Central holds specific data that your accountant needs to accurately calculate your true profitability, stock valuations, and tax liabilities.

At year end, Amazon sellers must provide:

• Income & Expenses Summary: A Custom Date Range “Summary” report from the Reports Repository for the exact accounting year.
• Account Level Reserve: The exact amount Amazon held in reserve on your year end date.
• Accurate Stock Valuations: A breakdown of stock held at the Amazon Warehouse (using the FBA Inventory Ledger), stock at home, and stock in transit, all valued at cost price.

(Sync Accountants Tip: Seller Central can be a maze. That is why we built a dedicated, step-by-step guide for our e-commerce clients. Check out our Year-End Records Guide for Amazon Sellers to learn exactly how to download these specific reports!)

Need Help With Your Year End Accounting Checklist?

Filing statutory accounts and corporation tax returns doesn’t have to be a stressful scramble. If you are worried about missing deadlines, or if you need an accountant who truly understands the complexities of e-commerce and Amazon selling, we are here to help.

Contact Sync Accountants today to ensure your business stays compliant and tax-efficient.