Complete guide to using the iXBRL Accounts Generator
A micro-entity is a very small UK company that meets at least two of the following criteria:
Micro-entities prepare accounts under FRS 105 (The Financial Reporting Standard applicable to the Micro-entities Regime).
Important: This tool is ONLY for micro-entities filing under FRS 105. If your company is larger, you'll need small company or full accounts preparation.
Before you begin, make sure you have:
The full legal name of your company as registered with Companies House.
Your 8-digit Companies House registration number. Must be exactly 8 digits (e.g., 12345678).
The end date of your current accounting period (e.g., 31/12/2024). This is usually your company's year-end date.
The end date of the previous accounting period. Used for comparative figures.
The date the directors approved the accounts. Usually today's date or the date of the board meeting.
Optional. The average number of people employed during the year. Leave blank if none.
Full names of all directors. At least one director must be listed. Use the "+ Add" button to add multiple directors.
Note: Micro-entities can choose whether to file their P&L with Companies House. Use the "Include in filing" toggle to control this. Even if not filed publicly, the P&L is calculated internally to determine reserves movement.
Total revenue from sales of goods or services during the period, excluding VAT.
Direct costs of producing goods or services sold (materials, direct labour, etc.). Enter as a positive number.
Automatically calculated as: Turnover - Cost of Sales
Overhead costs (rent, utilities, salaries, professional fees, etc.). Enter as a positive number.
Automatically calculated as: Gross Profit - Administrative Expenses
Bank interest received, investment income, etc.
Interest paid on loans, overdrafts, etc. Enter as a positive number.
Calculated as: Operating Profit + Interest Receivable - Interest Payable
Corporation tax charge for the period. Enter as a positive number.
This flows to the Balance Sheet reserves. Calculated as: Profit Before Tax - Tax
Non-physical assets like goodwill, patents, trademarks, software. Net book value (cost - accumulated amortisation).
Physical assets like property, equipment, vehicles, fixtures. Net book value (cost - accumulated depreciation).
Inventory, raw materials, work in progress, finished goods. Valued at lower of cost or net realisable value.
Trade debtors (customers who owe you money), prepayments, other amounts owed to the company.
Bank balances and physical cash. Include overdrafts as negative amounts in creditors instead.
Suppliers you owe money to, within one year.
Accruals, tax payable, loans due within one year, bank overdrafts, other short-term liabilities.
Loans, director's loans, other liabilities due after more than one year.
Provisions for future liabilities or charges (e.g., deferred tax, warranty provisions, restructuring costs).
Nominal value of shares issued and fully paid. Check your Companies House records if unsure.
Profit and loss account balance brought forward from the prior year. Should match last year's closing balance.
Auto-calculated as: Opening Retained Earnings + Profit for the Year - Dividends (if any). If you paid dividends or had other reserve movements, you may need to manually adjust.
Balancing Rule: Net Assets MUST equal Total Shareholders' Funds. If they don't match, the validation will fail.
Enter expenses and costs as positive numbers. The system handles the signs automatically.
All amounts should be net of VAT (VAT-exclusive) unless your company is not VAT-registered.
Enter NET book value (cost minus accumulated depreciation/amortisation), not original cost.
Both current year AND prior year columns must be completed.
Prior year closing balance should match current year opening balance (unless there were restatements).
If dividends were paid, closing reserves ≠ opening + profit. Adjust manually if needed.
A: No. Micro-entities can choose whether to file their P&L publicly with Companies House. Use the toggle to control this. However, the P&L is still calculated internally for reserves reconciliation.
A: Check all calculations, ensure you're using net book values for fixed assets, verify reserves reconciliation (opening + profit - dividends = closing), and ensure no data entry errors. The validation will show you the exact difference.
A: Currently, the application does not save data between sessions. Complete the form in one sitting or copy your data elsewhere for safekeeping.
A: The application uses the FRC 2025 taxonomy (effective from 1 January 2025) for UK GAAP. This is the latest version for micro-entity accounts under FRS 105.
A: No. This tool generates the iXBRL file, which you must then upload to Companies House WebFiling service separately.
A: This tool is ONLY for simple micro-entity accounts under FRS 105. For larger companies or complex structures, you'll need professional accounting software or an accountant.
After generating your iXBRL file, follow these steps to file with Companies House:
Filing Deadline: You must file your accounts within 9 months of your accounting period end date. Late filing incurs automatic penalties.