Companies House Changes Announced: P&L Accounts & Software-Only Filing

Your profit figures can stay private: what the 2028 Companies House changes mean for you

If you run your own limited company, you might have spotted some headlines about new filing rules. Here's what's actually happening and why the detail isn't as bad as the headlines may suggest. 

The headline news is that from April 2028, small companies will need to file a profit and loss (P&L) account with Companies House. However, the detail is that you can opt out of publishing your P&L which means it won't be displayed on the public register for anyone to look up. 

What's changing

Right now, most small companies only file part of their accounts publicly. The public can see your balance sheet, a snapshot of what the company owns and owes, but not your P&L. So the detail of what you actually earn and spend stays private.

The original plan was to make P&L filing public for everyone, with no way around it. That got shelved in early 2026 after plenty of pushback. It's now back, but with one important change. From April 2028 you'll file a P&L, and you can opt out of publishing it. We don't yet know exactly how that opt-out will work. Companies House says it'll confirm the details later, and we'll let you know as soon as it does.

You'll file through software

The other change: from April 2028, all companies have to file their accounts through commercial software. The old web and paper routes for accounts are closing. Although, if you're a Mighty client, this is a non-event. We already file your accounts digitally with HMRC and Companies House, so no change is required. 

Why is this happening?

The official goal is transparency, specifically a more complete and reliable public register. The thing to be clear on: this isn't really about HMRC. HMRC already gets your full P&L through your company tax return, so the change is about the public register, not the taxman. The idea is that more consistent, more visible data makes it harder to quietly under-report or hide things, which is where the anti-avoidance angle comes in.

It fits a wider pattern, too. On your 2025/26 tax return, if you take dividends from your own company you now report them separately, with the company's number and your shareholding. That one is about HMRC getting sharper data directly. Different route, same direction: making tax avoidance harder to get away with.

The transparency goal is reasonable. But keeping your profit figures off the public register is the bit you'll care about, and that's exactly what the opt-out protects.

The short version

From April 2028 you'll file a P&L through software. If the thought of your profit being public put you off, don't worry, you can keep it private. And if you're already with Mighty, there's nothing for you to do.

Already with Mighty? You're sorted for 2028, your accounts already file exactly the way the new rules expect. Not with us yet? Get in touch and we'll be happy to talk you through how we work.