Preview Is Not the Same as Submitting — How to Complete Your Filing | TinyTax Support

Preview Is Not the Same as Submitting — How to Complete Your Filing

Clicking View Draft Submission generates a preview but does not file your return. Learn how to complete your CT600 and accounts submission.

Clicking View Draft Submission on the form page takes you to a preview of your filing — but it doesn't submit anything to HMRC or Companies House. You still need to click the submit buttons on the preview page to actually file.

This guide explains the difference and how to complete your submission.

Preview vs Submit — What's the Difference?

StepWhat happensFiled?
View Draft SubmissionGenerates a preview of your CT600, accounts, and tax computation so you can check everythingNo
Submit Corporation TaxSends your CT600 to HMRC via the Government GatewayYes — to HMRC
Submit AccountsSends your statutory accounts to Companies HouseYes — to Companies House
The preview page is a chance to review your figures before filing. Nothing is sent to HMRC or Companies House until you click the green submit buttons.

⚠ If you've only clicked <strong>View Draft Submission</strong>, your filing is not complete. You must return to the preview page and click <strong>Submit Corporation Tax</strong> (and <strong>Submit Accounts</strong> if required) to file.

How to Complete Your Filing

If you've already previewed but haven't submitted:

  1. Log in to TinyTax and go to your Dashboard
  2. Find your company — you should see your filing still showing as unfiled
  3. Click Continue Filing (or File if starting fresh)
  4. If your figures are already saved, you'll be taken back to the form — click View Draft Submission again
  5. On the preview page, click Submit Corporation Tax to file with HMRC
  6. If you also need to file accounts, click Submit Accounts to file with Companies House
ℹ You'll need your HMRC Government Gateway credentials (User ID and password) to submit your CT600, and your Companies House authentication code to submit accounts.

How Do I Know If I've Actually Submitted?

Check your Dashboard:

What you seeWhat it means
Accepted
Filed and accepted — you're done
Submitted
Filed and waiting for a response
Draft
Preview generated but not submitted — action needed
No status shownFiling not started yet
If your dashboard shows a draft or no submission status, you still need to submit.

Common Questions

I clicked "View Draft Submission" — didn't that submit my return?

No. That button generates a preview so you can review your figures, CT600, and accounts before filing. To actually submit, you need to click Submit Corporation Tax and/or Submit Accounts on the preview page.

I previewed days ago — are my figures still saved?

Yes. Your figures are saved when you preview. When you return to the form, your data should still be there. Click View Draft Submission again to get back to the preview page, then submit.

Do I need to submit both CT600 and accounts?

It depends on what you selected when starting your filing:

  • CT600 and Accounts — Submit both (most common)
  • CT600 only — Just submit to HMRC
  • Accounts only — Just submit to Companies House

I submitted CT600 but forgot to submit accounts — can I go back?

Yes. Return to the preview page from your dashboard and click Submit Accounts. The two submissions are independent — you can do them at different times.

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