Creditors are amounts the company owes. Those due within one year of the balance sheet date – suppliers, HMRC, short-term bank borrowing, accruals and so on – are shown as one figure on the balance sheet. This note shows what that figure is made up of.
What this note shows
A table listing each type of creditor due within one year, with a total that agrees to the balance sheet and the prior-year comparative alongside. Small companies must also disclose the total of any creditors that are secured and the nature of the security, under The Small Companies and Groups (Accounts and Directors' Report) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/409) Schedule 1.
The note is part of FRS 102 Section 1A accounts. FRS 105 micro-entity accounts show creditors on the balance sheet only, with no breakdown note.
Where the figures come from
Tax Optimiser reads every account in your trial balance that is mapped to the FRS 102 group Creditors: amounts falling due within one year. Each account prints on its own line under its own name – for example "Trade creditors", "PAYE and NI", "VAT", "Accruals", "Corporation tax provision", "Bank Loans". An account with a nil balance in both years is left out.
Two refinements keep the note consistent with the iXBRL tagging used for filing:
- The purchase ledger control account is treated as trade creditors.
- If two or more accounts carry the same tag, they are combined into one line under a general label (for example "Bank loans and overdrafts" or "Other creditors"), so the same figure is not tagged twice.
The figures are read-only in the note. If a line is wrong, correct the trial balance (or the account's mapping) and the note updates.
Group other creditors
The editor has a tick box, Group other creditors into a single "Other creditors" line. When ticked:
| Stays on its own line | Combined into "Other creditors" |
|---|---|
| Trade creditors (including the purchase ledger control account), bank loans and overdrafts, corporation tax, taxation and social security, VAT, accruals, deferred income | Directors' loan accounts, other loans, related party balances and any other account in the group |
"Other creditors" prints last. The total is unchanged – only the presentation is condensed. This is useful when the trial balance has several small accounts you would rather not show individually.
Completing the note in Tax Optimiser
Open the period, choose View Accounts, then Notes in the left Actions menu. Under Creditors: amounts falling due within one year, select Creditors.
- Set Show this note in the accounts to Yes.
- Check the lines against your trial balance. The green row, Creditors due within one year, is the total.
- Tick Group other creditors if you want the condensed presentation.
- Click Save changes to save the note and rebuild the accounts preview.
In the demo, Example Notes Ltd shows six lines totalling £106,200 (2025: £92,600), with grouping left unticked. Every line here is one that stays separate anyway, so ticking the box would make no difference.
Disclosing secured creditors
If any of these creditors are secured on the company's assets – typically a bank loan or overdraft with a fixed and floating charge – select Additional note for Creditors, switch it on, and click Use Template. The demo company's £10,000 current portion of its bank loan is secured, so the sentence has been added there.
Wording templates
These templates are on the Additional note for Creditors section:
- Creditors secured on company assets – states the amount of creditors due within one year secured by a fixed and floating charge. You are asked for {{SecuredAmount}}.
Edit the wording after applying it if the security is different (for example a charge over a specific property).
How it appears in the accounts
The note prints each line with a £ column for each year, then the total with a double underline. Any additional note text prints underneath.
The total agrees to the "Creditors: amounts falling due within one year" line on the balance sheet, and the balance sheet line carries the note number as a reference.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I change a figure in the creditors note?
The lines come directly from the trial balance accounts in the "Creditors: amounts falling due within one year" group. Correct the trial balance and the note updates.
What does "Group other creditors" do?
It combines directors' loan accounts, other loans, related party balances and any other minor accounts into one "Other creditors" line. Trade creditors, bank loans, corporation tax, taxation and social security, VAT, accruals and deferred income stay separate. The total is not affected.
Do I have to disclose secured creditors in small company accounts?
Yes. The total of secured creditors and the nature of the security should be disclosed. Use the "Creditors secured on company assets" template in the Additional note for Creditors section.
Why is an account missing from the note?
Accounts with a nil balance in both years are hidden. If an account with a balance is missing, check it is mapped to the "Creditors: amounts falling due within one year" group in the trial balance.
Where does a director's loan the company owes show?
A credit balance on a director's loan account is a creditor and appears here under its own account name, or within "Other creditors" if you tick the grouping box. Loans the company has made to a director are covered by the loans to directors note.