Director's Loan Account & S455
Stay out of the S455 trap. The DLA stays in the green or you hear about it.
Live DLA balance per director with S455 deemed-tax warning when overdrawn, the 9-month repayment window countdown, and plain-English explanations in chat. Posts from expenses, dividends, salary all flow through automatically.
In short
AccountsOS tracks each director's loan account live. When a director's DLA goes overdrawn we flag the S455 deemed tax (33.75% of the overdrawn balance at year-end if not repaid within 9 months) and surface a countdown so it never bites by surprise. All postings — salary, dividends, expense reimbursements — flow into the DLA automatically.
Free during Early Access — no credit card required
Everything Director's Loan Account & S455 can do
Live DLA tracking
- Per-director loan account balance
- Recent transactions affecting the DLA
- Net position over time (chart)
- Multi-director companies supported
S455 deemed-tax warning
- Triggers when DLA is overdrawn at year-end
- Calculates 33.75% of the overdrawn balance
- 9-month repayment window countdown
- Year-end alert with options (repay / declare dividend / pay through PAYE)
AI explanations
- Plain-English chat answers ('you'd owe £X if not repaid by Y')
- Cited HMRC guidance
- Suggests dividend declaration or salary top-up to clear the balance
Capabilities at a glance
Live DLA balance per director
Recent transactions view
S455 deemed tax warning on year-end overdrawn balance
9-month repayment window countdown
Chat agent explains in plain English
Multi-director support
Auto-postings from salary, dividends, expense reimbursement
How It Works
Transactions flow into DLA
Salary, dividends, reimbursements and direct loans all post to the right director's DLA automatically.
Live balance shown
Open the DLA page any time — net position per director, with a chart of movement.
S455 warning if overdrawn
At year-end (or anytime the balance crosses zero), we flag the deemed S455 tax and start a 9-month countdown.
Clear before the deadline
Pay back the loan, declare a dividend, or top up via salary — chat suggests the cheapest route.
By the numbers
Real-world Use Cases
Director dipping into the company
You take £8k for a personal expense. DLA goes overdrawn. We warn you, show the S455 impact, suggest a dividend before year-end.
Forgot to declare dividend before year-end
DLA still overdrawn at year-end. We start the 9-month clock. You declare and pay a dividend within 9 months — S455 avoided.
Multi-director planning
Two directors, both occasionally dip in. We track each separately so neither accidentally trips S455.
Why founders pick this over the spreadsheet
Avoid the S455 surprise tax bill (33.75% of the overdrawn balance)
Live position means you never go overdrawn by accident
Chat-driven advice on how to clear the balance
Multi-director clarity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is S455?
A UK Corporation Tax charge on a director's overdrawn loan account at company year-end, currently 33.75% of the overdrawn amount. It's refunded if the loan is repaid within 9 months of the year-end.
How do you calculate the warning?
We look at each director's net DLA position at year-end. If it's overdrawn, we apply 33.75% as the deemed S455 charge, start the 9-month countdown, and show how much you'd save by clearing the balance.
What if there are multiple directors?
Each director has their own DLA. S455 applies per-director — one director can be overdrawn while another is fine.
Can the AI suggest a fix?
Yes — chat will suggest the cheapest route to clear (declare a dividend if you have profits, top up via salary, repay personally) and explain the maths.
What if I miss the 9 months?
S455 becomes payable at the next CT due date. We surface this in your live CT estimate so it doesn't surprise you.
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