Tax guides that actually help
In depth, evergreen guides on the questions UK businesses and taxpayers really search for. Written by our accountants, free to read, and built to point you in the right direction.
How to register for Self Assessment
A plain guide to registering for Self Assessment with HMRC, getting your UTR and filing on time.
Tell us what you are worried about
Not sure where to start? Tell us what you are worried about and we will guide you to the right help, from tax returns to VAT, payroll, CIS and more. UK wide and.
Free tools to make tax easier
Free tax tools and resources from TaxTune Accountants, including UK tax calculators, document checklists, key deadlines and practical guides.
UK Tax Deadlines 2026/27: The Complete Calendar
Every date that matters in one place, from 31 January and 31 July through to corporation tax, VAT, PAYE, CIS and the new quarterly MTD updates.
The 31 January Tax Return Deadline
Three separate things fall due on the same date, and the £100 penalty applies even when you owe no tax at all.
Payments on Account Explained
Why your first tax bill is half as big again as you expected, and why a second one lands on 31 July.
Corporation Tax Deadlines
Corporation tax is due 9 months and 1 day after your year end, three months before the return itself.
VAT Return Deadlines and Penalties
One month and 7 days after each quarter, with penalty points for late returns and 3% charges for late payment.
PAYE and Payroll Deadlines
The FPS is due on or before payday, the money by the 22nd, P60s by 31 May and P11Ds by 6 July.
CIS Deadlines for Contractors and Subcontractors
Returns by the 19th every month, including nil returns, with penalties that escalate faster than any other scheme.
Companies House Deadlines
Nine months for accounts, 21 months for a first set, and penalties that are almost never waived.
The 60 Day Capital Gains Deadline
Sell a property that is not your main home and you have 60 days from completion to report and pay.
Making Tax Digital Quarterly Deadlines
Four updates a year on 7 August, November, February and May for anyone over £50,000 from April 2026.
Stamp Duty Explained
Stamp duty is charged in slices, not on the whole price, and nothing is due on the first £125,000 of a normal home purchase in England and Northern Ireland.
Stamp Duty for First Time Buyers
First time buyers pay nothing up to £300,000, but the relief disappears completely one pound over £500,000 and is lost if a joint buyer has owned before.
Stamp Duty on Second Homes and Additional Property
Buying an additional property adds 5% in England and Northern Ireland, a flat 8% in Scotland and a separate higher rate table in Wales.
Stamp Duty for Buy to Let Landlords
Every buy to let carries the surcharge, but the six dwellings rule and mixed use treatment can cut a portfolio purchase dramatically.
Buying Property Through a Limited Company
Companies pay the surcharge from the first purchase and face a flat 17% charge above £500,000 unless a relief such as property rental business relief applies.
How to Claim a Stamp Duty Refund
The surcharge paid before your old home sold can be reclaimed within 3 years, but the claim window is only 12 months and it is regularly missed.
Stamp Duty on Commercial and Mixed Use Property
Non residential rates top out at 5% with no surcharge, which is why mixed use claims are valuable and why HMRC examines them so closely.
Stamp Duty Deadlines, Filing and Penalties
The return and the payment are due within 14 days of completion, and the responsibility sits with you as the buyer, not with your conveyancer.
Stamp Duty on Land and Building Plots
Most bare land is non residential and escapes the surcharge, but land forming the garden or grounds of a dwelling counts as residential even with nothing built on it.
How Stamp Duty Differs Across the UK
SDLT, LBTT and LTT compared, with the same purchase costing £5,500 in England, £5,100 in Scotland and £5,100 in Wales, and far more apart on second homes.
How to Run Payroll in 2026/27: Step by Step UK Guide
Learn how to run payroll in the UK for 2026/27, from registering as an employer with HMRC to tax codes, RTI submissions, payslips and paying HMRC on time.
PAYE Explained for Employers: How PAYE Works in 2026/27
What is PAYE and how does it work? A plain English guide for UK employers covering tax codes, thresholds, employee and employer National Insurance for 2026/27.
RTI Payroll: FPS and EPS Submissions Explained 2026/27
What are FPS and EPS submissions? A plain guide to Real Time Information payroll reporting, deadlines, corrections and late filing penalties for 2026/27.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) 2026/27: Rates & Eligibility
How much is SMP in 2026/27? First 6 weeks at 90% of pay, then £194.32 a week for 33 weeks. Who qualifies, how employers reclaim it and the common mistakes.
Statutory Paternity Pay 2026/27: Rate, Rules & Day 1 Leave
Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week for up to 2 weeks in 2026/27, and paternity leave became a day 1 right in April 2026. Eligibility, notice and how to run it.
Shared Parental Leave & Pay 2026/27: Employer Guide
Shared Parental Leave lets parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay at £194.32 a week in 2026/27. Eligibility, curtailment notices and employer duties.
Statutory Adoption Pay 2026/27: Rates and Employer Rules
Statutory Adoption Pay 2026/27: 6 weeks at 90% of earnings then £194.32 a week, 39 weeks paid, 52 weeks leave. Eligibility, matching certificates and recovery.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) 2026/27: New Day 1 Rules & Rates
SSP changed in April 2026: paid from day 1, no earnings threshold, at £123.25 a week or 80% of earnings if lower. What employers must change and how to run it.
Neonatal Care Pay & Parental Bereavement Pay 2026/27
Neonatal care leave gives up to 12 extra weeks at £194.32 in 2026/27 when a baby needs hospital care. Parental bereavement leave gives 2 paid weeks. The employer rules.
National Minimum Wage April 2026: Rates & Employer Rules
NMW rates from April 2026: £12.71 for over 21s, £10.85 for 18 to 20s, £8.00 for under 18s and apprentices. How to stay compliant and avoid HMRC naming and fines.
Employer National Insurance 2026/27: 15% Rate & £10,500 Allowance
Employer NI is 15% above £5,000 per employee in 2026/27. See how the £10,500 Employment Allowance works, who cannot claim it, and reliefs for under 21s and apprentices.
Student Loan Deductions in Payroll 2026/27: Plans 1-5 & PGL
Student loan thresholds 2026/27: Plan 1 £26,900, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795, Plan 5 £25,000, postgraduate £21,000. How employers deduct them correctly.
P45, P60 and P11D Explained: Employer Guide 2026/27
What is the difference between a P45, P60 and P11D? Deadlines, employer duties and what changes when P11Ds are largely replaced by payrolling from April 2027.
Payslips Explained: What Must Be On Them by Law (UK 2026)
Every worker has a legal right to an itemised payslip on or before payday. What must be shown in 2026/27, hours reporting rules, deductions and employer penalties.
New Starters and Leavers in Payroll: Employer Checklist 2026/27
How to add a new employee to payroll (P45, starter checklist, tax codes) and process leavers correctly (final pay, holiday, P45) in 2026/27, step by step.
Payrolling Benefits in Kind: Mandatory April 2027 Changes
Payrolling benefits in kind becomes mandatory from April 2027 for cars, fuel and medical cover, with most benefits following in 2028. What employers must do now.
Directors' Payroll 2026/27: Salary, NI and the Annual Method
How directors' payroll differs: annual NI earnings periods, the best salary for 2026/27, Employment Allowance rules for sole directors and dividend interaction.
Holiday Pay & Entitlement 2026: 5.6 Weeks, Accrual & Rolled Up
UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday. How to calculate entitlement, the 52 week pay reference period, 12.07% accrual and rolled up holiday pay for irregular staff.
Allowable expenses for the self employed
A clear guide to the business costs sole traders can claim against tax, and the ones they cannot.
Self Assessment deadlines and penalties
A plain guide to the key Self Assessment dates and the penalties for filing or paying late.
When You Must Register for VAT
You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover passes the threshold, and there are two separate tests that can trigger it.
How the VAT Flat Rate Scheme Works
The Flat Rate Scheme lets you pay a fixed percentage of your VAT inclusive turnover instead of working out VAT on every sale and purchase.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Explained
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax means digital records, quarterly updates to HMRC and a final declaration, starting with higher earning sole traders and landlords.
Limited Company Allowable Expenses
A plain guide to what your limited company can claim against profit and how it reduces your corporation tax.
How to Pay Corporation Tax
A plain guide to how corporation tax is worked out, when it is due, and how to pay HMRC correctly.
Starting a Limited Company
A practical step by step guide to forming a limited company and setting it up correctly from day one.
How Company Directors Pay Themselves
Most directors take a small salary up to the personal allowance and the rest as dividends, which usually means a lower overall tax bill.
The Directors Loan Account Explained
A directors loan account tracks money you take that is not salary, dividend or expense repayment, and an overdrawn balance left too long can trigger tax.
How to Claim a CIS Tax Refund
Many subcontractors overpay tax under CIS because deductions ignore the personal allowance and expenses, so a refund is often due once a return is filed.
Landlord Allowable Expenses: What You Can and Cannot Claim
A plain guide to the costs landlords can deduct from rental income, the mortgage interest rules and the reliefs that remain in 2026/27.
Bookkeeping Tips for Small Business Owners
Simple, practical bookkeeping habits that keep your records accurate, save tax and prepare you for Making Tax Digital.
Moving From Sole Trader to Limited Company
How to tell when incorporating is worth it, how the tax compares and what changes when you run a limited company.
UK income tax rates and bands explained
A plain guide to how the UK income tax bands and rates fit together for 2026/27.
How tax codes work
A practical guide to reading your tax code and putting it right if it is wrong.
The personal allowance explained
What the personal allowance is, how the taper works and how to make the most of it.
How to claim a tax refund
The main reasons you may be owed tax back and how to claim it.
National Insurance explained
National Insurance is a separate charge from Income Tax that builds your entitlement to the State Pension and certain benefits, with different classes for employees, employers and the self employed.
National Insurance for the self employed
If you are self employed you pay Class 4 National Insurance on your profit, while Class 2 is treated as paid to protect your State Pension record, all calculated on your Self Assessment return.
Voluntary National Insurance contributions
Voluntary Class 3 National Insurance lets you fill gaps in your record to protect your State Pension, which can be worth doing if you have years that do not count as qualifying years.
Capital Gains Tax Explained
Capital Gains Tax is charged on the profit when you sell an asset that has risen in value, not on the whole sum you receive.
Capital Gains Tax on Property
Selling a second home or buy to let usually means Capital Gains Tax, and the gain must be reported and paid within 60 days of completion.
Capital Gains Tax on Shares
Selling shares or investments outside an ISA can trigger Capital Gains Tax, but allowances, losses and spouse transfers can reduce or remove the bill.
Inheritance Tax explained
A plain English guide to how Inheritance Tax is charged, the thresholds that reduce it and why couples can often pass on far more than a single person.
Gifts and the 7 year rule
A practical guide to giving money and assets away during your lifetime, how the 7 year rule works and the everyday gifts that are exempt straight away.
Reducing Inheritance Tax
A balanced look at the legitimate steps that can reduce a future Inheritance Tax bill, from using your allowances to giving to charity, and why advice is so important.
Pension Tax Relief Explained
A clear guide to how pension tax relief works in 2026/27, including the annual allowance, the tax free lump sum and what company directors can do.
ISAs Explained
A practical guide to how ISAs work in 2026/27, covering the £20,000 allowance, the main types and the tax advantages they offer.
Tax on Savings Interest
A clear guide to how savings interest is taxed in 2026/27, covering the personal savings allowance, the starting rate for savings and how any excess is taxed.
The High Income Child Benefit Charge for 2026/27
A clear guide to the High Income Child Benefit Charge, who pays it, how much it is and how it is collected.
Tax Free Childcare for 2026/27
A plain English guide to Tax Free Childcare, the government top up, who qualifies and the income limits that apply.
Working from home tax relief for employees
A guide to working from home tax relief for employees, the flat rate claim, who qualifies and how it differs from the self employed.
Marriage Allowance explained for 2026/27
A simple guide to Marriage Allowance, who can claim, how much it saves and how to backdate a claim.
Do I Need to File a Tax Return?
A clear guide to the situations that mean you must complete a Self Assessment tax return, and how to check if you are caught.
First Time Self Assessment: A Beginner Guide
Everything a first time filer needs, from registering and getting a UTR to gathering records, meeting the deadlines and understanding the final bill.
How Much Tax Will I Pay When Self Employed?
A plain guide to how income tax and National Insurance are calculated on self employed profit, with the 2026/27 bands and a full worked example.
Second Job Tax: How Your Second Job Is Taxed
A clear explanation of how a second job is taxed, why the BR code is used, when you over or underpay, and how to put your tax code right.
Tax Return for Uber and Bolt Drivers
A clear guide to how private hire and taxi drivers declare their fares and claim expenses on a Self Assessment tax return.
Tax Return for Landlords
A practical guide to reporting rental income, claiming allowable costs and applying the mortgage interest tax reduction.
Tax Return for Company Directors
A guide to why directors file Self Assessment, how to report salary and dividends and how dividend tax is worked out.
Tax Return for CIS Subcontractors
A guide to how subcontractors report CIS income, declare tax already deducted, claim expenses and recover their refund.
Tax on Side Income and Side Hustles
A clear guide to how side income is taxed, when the trading allowance covers you, and when you must tell HMRC.
When Does a Hobby Become a Business?
How HMRC decides whether your hobby has become a taxable trade, using the badges of trade and the trading allowance.
Tax for Content Creators and Influencers
What content creators and influencers must declare, including gifted products and affiliate income, and the costs they can claim.
UK Crypto Tax Explained
A practical guide to how crypto is taxed in the UK, covering Capital Gains Tax, income tax and the records you need.
Amazon Seller Tax and VAT Explained
What Amazon sellers need to know about income tax, the VAT threshold, marketplace VAT and keeping clean records.
eBay, Vinted and Etsy Seller Tax Explained
When selling on eBay, Vinted and Etsy counts as trading, how the trading allowance works and what the platforms report to HMRC.
Tax on Rental Income Explained
How your rental profit is taxed, which costs you can claim, how the mortgage interest reducer works and what happens with joint ownership.
How to Pay Less Tax Legally
The legitimate ways to reduce your tax bill, from pensions and allowances to structure, salary and dividend mix and timing, and the clear line you must not cross.
What is IR35 and how do the off payroll working rules work?
IR35 decides whether a contractor working through their own company is really like an employee for tax, and being inside the rules can change your take home pay significantly.
Company car tax explained: the benefit in kind and the mileage alternative
A company car available for private use is a benefit in kind taxed on the list price and emissions, and for many owner managed companies claiming mileage is cheaper, except often for fully electric cars.
Trivial benefits and staff gifts: the rules explained
An employer can give staff small benefits with no tax charge where each costs fifty pounds or less and meets the conditions, with directors of a close company capped at three hundred pounds a year.
How to close a limited company: strike off versus liquidation
A solvent company can be closed by striking it off with a DS01 form or through a members voluntary liquidation, with the liquidation route often more tax efficient where reserves are larger because distributions may be treated as capital.
Self employed vs employed: how the tax really compares
A clear comparison of how employees and the self employed are taxed, what each can claim, and how the same income leaves you with a different take home pay.
How to fill in a tax return, step by step
A practical walk through of completing a Self Assessment return, from gathering your records to filling the main sections and the self employment pages.
Working from home: how the self employed claim the cost
A clear explanation of how sole traders claim home working costs, comparing the simplified flat rate with the actual cost method so you choose the better one.
How to pay your tax bill to HMRC
A practical guide to paying your Self Assessment bill, covering the methods, the deadlines, the correct reference and the Time to Pay option if you are short.
How to Do a VAT Return
A plain English guide to completing and filing your VAT return correctly, from working out the figures to submitting through Making Tax Digital software.
How to Register for VAT, Step by Step
Everything you need to know to register for VAT correctly, from the £90,000 threshold to choosing your effective date and meeting your new obligations.
Payroll for Small Business
A practical guide to setting up and running payroll, from registering as an employer to PAYE, real time reporting, payslips, pensions and the Employment Allowance.
Auto Enrolment Pensions Explained
A clear guide to workplace pensions and automatic enrolment, setting out which staff you must enrol, the minimum contributions and your ongoing duties as an employer.
Budgeting for Your Tax Bill
A practical guide to setting money aside for tax so your Self Assessment bill never catches you out.
Record Keeping for the Self Employed
What records you need to keep when self employed, for how long, and how to build a simple routine that keeps you ready for tax time.
How to Appeal an HMRC Penalty
How to challenge an HMRC penalty, what counts as a reasonable excuse, the deadline you must meet and what to put in your appeal.
Business Bank Account and Tax
Why a separate business bank account keeps your records clean, why it is essential for companies, and the problems that mixing accounts causes.
Cannot find your answer?
Ask us directly. Book a free call or use the quote builder and we will help, with no obligation.