We follow the latest from HMRC and translate it into plain English, so you always know what is changing, what it means for you and what to do next. Fresh updates added every week.
From April 2027 most staff benefits must be taxed through the payroll in real time instead of on a P11D form. What employers should do to prepare.
From April 2025 holiday lets lost their special tax treatment and are now taxed like normal property. What owners have lost and what to do now.
Rates rose to 18 and 24 per cent and the allowance is frozen at 3,000 pounds. What it means and how to reduce the impact.
The tax free dividend allowance is now just 500 pounds. What it means for directors and investors, and how to soften it.
Agencies and end clients become responsible for PAYE on umbrella workers from April 2026. What to do.
Selling platforms now report your data to HMRC. What is shared, who is affected and what to do.
Crypto exchanges must share user data with HMRC from 2026. How to get your tax in order first.
Private school fees now carry 20 per cent VAT. What changed, who it affects and what families can do.
The non-dom remittance basis was abolished in April 2025 and replaced with a residence based system.
Frozen thresholds quietly pull more people into higher tax as wages rise. What it means and how to reduce it.
Employer NI rose to 15 per cent while the Employment Allowance rose to 10,500 pounds. The net effect.
Class 2 reformed and Class 4 cut to 6 per cent. What it means for your bill and your pension.
New rateable values took effect from April 2026. What it means for your premises and how to prepare.
You must register for VAT once turnover passes 90,000 pounds. How the rolling threshold works and what to watch.
The state pension keeps rising, but frozen allowances mean more pensioners now pay tax on it.
The ISA allowance is frozen but ISAs are more valuable than ever as other allowances are cut.
HMRC raised its interest rate and toughened penalties for late returns and late tax. How to avoid them.
From 2029/30 trading income under 3,000 pounds will not need a return. What it means, and the catch.
A high salary on PAYE no longer means a return by itself. When you still need to file.
From 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep digital records and send HMRC a quarterly update, with a final declaration replacing the old tax return. The threshold falls to £30,000 in 2027 and £20,000 in 2028. Qualifying income is your gross turnover, not your profit, so it catches more people than you might expect.
Register by 5 October if you are new to Self Assessment, file a paper return by 31 October, and file online and pay any tax due by 31 January. Miss the online deadline and there is an automatic £100 penalty even if you owe nothing, with daily penalties after 3 months. Filing early gives you time to budget, because filing does not mean paying any sooner.
Every VAT registered business now has to keep digital records and file its VAT returns through compatible software rather than typing figures into the HMRC website. Good cloud bookkeeping makes this almost automatic, and schemes such as the Flat Rate Scheme can simplify things further. We set this up for clients as a matter of course.
For 2026/27 the Employment Allowance is worth up to £10,500 off your employer National Insurance bill, and the old £100,000 restriction has been removed, so far more businesses now qualify. A company whose only employee is also the sole director usually cannot claim it, which catches out a lot of one person companies. It is well worth checking you are claiming what you are entitled to.
HMRC has set out its 2026 changes under the heading of simplification, modernisation and fairness. The themes that matter most are the start of Making Tax Digital, frozen allowances that quietly pull more people into higher tax bands, and a rise in dividend tax rates from April 2026 for company directors. We can tell you in plain English which of them actually affect you.
HMRC's latest estimate is that 6.4% of the tax that should be paid goes uncollected, and a large share is down to small business mistakes rather than deliberate evasion. A rising tax gap usually means more checks and enquiries, so accurate records and filing on time are your best protection. Getting the figures right is exactly what keeps you off HMRC's radar.
With the nil rate band frozen at £325,000 until at least 2030, sensible lifetime giving can reduce a future inheritance tax bill. You can give away £3,000 each year that leaves your estate straight away, plus small gifts of £250 per person, and larger gifts fall out of your estate completely once you survive 7 years. A little forethought here saves a great deal later.
A revaluation has taken effect with the 2026 rating list, so the rateable value behind your business rates bill may have changed, up in some areas and down in others. Many smaller businesses qualify for Small Business Rate Relief, and it is possible to challenge a valuation that looks too high. It pays not to simply accept whatever bill lands on the doormat.
From 6 April 2026, responsibility for getting PAYE right on umbrella company workers moves up the supply chain to the recruitment agency, or the end client where there is no agency. HMRC can pursue them for any shortfall, with no defence based on due diligence. Any business that engages contractors needs to know exactly who is in its labour supply chain.
Class 4 National Insurance is charged at 6% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270 and 2% above that. Class 2 is no longer compulsory once profits pass £7,105, though you can still pay it voluntarily at £3.65 a week to protect your State Pension record. It is worth a quick check each year, especially if your profits are low.
Rules change often. Book a free call back and we will tell you exactly what applies to you and handle the lot for you.