Running a business can be challenging, with responsibilities and legal obligations at every turn. This makes it easy for important dates and deadlines to pass unnoticed. To help you stay organised and compliant, we’ve compiled a list of the UK tax year dates in 2025-26 that may affect you and your business.
This handy guide covers key requirements and deadlines for limited companies, limited liability partnerships, Self Assessment customers, employers, and VAT-registered businesses. It also outlines important tax changes and other notable measures taking effect at the start of the new tax year.
The UK tax year commences on 6 April and ends on 5 April the following year – for example, the 2025-26 tax year runs from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026. Sometimes referred to as the fiscal year, the tax year is the 12-month period that governments use to assess and manage the taxation of individuals, including employees, directors, shareholders, and the self-employed.
The tax year should not be confused with the calendar year (1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025) or the UK financial year (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026). The UK financial year is the 12-month period that the government uses for Corporation Tax, accounting, and financial reporting purposes.
Most limited companies initially have a different financial year based on their incorporation date. However, many companies change their accounting reference date (financial year-end) to align their reporting with the government’s financial year.
Various changes usually take effect at the start of the UK tax year (or shortly beforehand), so you should check to see what they are and whether they apply to you. These may include changes to tax rates and thresholds, National Insurance contributions (NICs), pensions, ISAs, the minimum wage, and statutory pay rates.
Organisation is crucial if you’re self-employed or running a limited company , so make sure you mark important tax year dates and deadlines in your calendar and set reminders. This will help you stay compliant and avoid penalties for late filings or payments.
You should also take the time to determine which expenses you can claim and whether you’re entitled to any tax reliefs, allowances, or exemptions. An accountant or tax advisor is the best person to help you with this.
UK limited companies have various filing and reporting deadlines to meet throughout the tax year. The exact dates vary from company to company, depending on their date of incorporation, accounting reference date (ARD), and Corporation Tax accounting period.
The table below shows the statutory requirements and corresponding deadlines you must remember as a company director or company secretary .
Companies House and HMRC impose penalties for late filings and payments . In the most serious cases, companies can be struck off the register, while directors can be personally fined and prosecuted.
Unlike limited companies, which are directly liable to taxation, limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are pass-through entities. This means that LLPs don’t pay tax on profits. Instead, profits pass through the LLP to the self-employed members (partners), who are each liable to pay Income Tax and Class 4 NICs through Self Assessment on their share of the profits.
However, while LLPs are transparent for tax purposes , they must send an annual Partnership Tax Return to HMRC. LLPs must also file annual accounts and an annual confirmation statement with Companies House. The deadlines for these filings are set out below:
Partnerships with companies as partners:
If you’re self-employed. receive dividends from shares, or need to send a Self Assessment tax return for any other reason, there are several important deadlines you need to know about. These are shown below:
If your Self Assessment tax return is late, even by one day, HMRC will impose an automatic late filing penalty of £100. Additional penalties will apply if your tax return is more than 3, 6, or 12 months late.
If you fail to pay your Self Assessment bill by the 31 January payment deadline, you will also incur late payment penalties and interest charges.
As an employer, you must be mindful of several tax year dates and deadlines to ensure you stay compliant. If you process employees’ wages (including directors’ salaries ) through Pay As You Earn (PAYE), you’ll need to send regular payroll reports to HMRC and pay any tax and National Insurance you owe through PAYE. The key deadlines are shown below:
Value Added Tax (VAT) is a consumption tax applied to the sale price of almost all goods and services sold by VAT-registered businesses. These businesses must apply, collect, and pay VAT to HMRC at the end of their accounting periods.
You must register for VAT if your VAT-taxable turnover exceeds £90,000. Voluntary VAT registration is an option if your turnover is below this threshold.
As a VAT-registered business, you’ll usually submit a VAT Return every 3 months (so 4 returns per year). If you owe any VAT, you’ll need to pay your bill at the same time. However, different rules apply if you join the VAT Annual Accounting Scheme (AAS).
The table below shows the deadlines for VAT registration, sending a VAT Return, and paying your bill.
The start of the UK tax year is typically when new measures are introduced and certain changes take effect, such as new tax rates and thresholds, adjustments to tax-free allowances, and annual increases to statutory pay.
Here’s an overview of some key tax year changes that may affect you in 2025-26. Most of these were announced during the 2024 Autumn Budget .
From 1 April 2025, the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates will increase based on the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission. Employers must ensure all staff on the NLW or NMW receive the new hourly rate from that date.
From 6 April 2025, the rate of employer (secondary) Class 1 National Insurance contributions will increase from 13.8% to 15%. Class 1A and Class 1B employer NIC rates will also increase in line with this.
The Secondary Threshold will be reduced from £9,100 per year to £5,000 per year. This is the earnings threshold at which employers become liable to secondary NICs on salaries or wages. The £5,000 threshold will remain in effect until 5 April 2028, thereafter rising in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
The maximum Employment Allowance will also change, increasing from £5,000 to £10,500 a year. Moreover, the £100,000 eligibility restriction will be scrapped, meaning more businesses and charities can claim the Employment Allowance and reduce their secondary Class 1 NIC liability.
The following changes to statutory pay rates for employees will take effect from 6 April 2025:
The weekly earnings threshold for an employee to qualify for Statutory Sick Pay or family payments will increase from £123 to £125. The threshold to be eligible for Maternity Allowance will remain at £30 per week.
The Capital Gains Tax rate that applies to Business Asset Disposal Relief (previously Entrepreneurs’ Relief) and Investors’ Relief will increase from 10% to 14% for disposals made on or after 6 April 2025, then from 14% to 18% for disposals made on or after 6 April 2026.
Some minor inflationary adjustments to Scottish Income Tax thresholds will take effect from 6 April 2026. The rates for the 2025-26 tax year are shown in the table below:
If you live in Scotland, you’ll pay Scottish Income Tax on your wages, self-employed earnings, pension, and most other forms of taxable income. However, you will pay the same tax as the rest of the UK on dividend income and savings interest.
In line with the State Pension ‘triple lock’ guarantee, both types of State Pension will increase by 4.1% from April 2025 . The full basic State Pension will go up from £169.50 to £176.45 per week, while the full new State Pension will increase from £221.20 to £230.25 per week.
Additionally, the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee will increase by 4.1% in line with earnings, resulting in a weekly amount of £227.10 for single claimants and £346.60 for couples.
From April 2025, the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax regime will be abolished. Income and gains from FHL properties will instead form part of the person’s UK or overseas property business and be subject to tax treatment in line with all other income and gains from property.
The business rates relief scheme for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties in England has been extended. For the 2025-26 tax year, the scheme will provide eligible occupied RHL properties with 40% relief on their business rates liability, subject to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.
The small business multiplier (rateable value below £51,000) has been frozen at 49.9p for 2025-26, while the standard multiplier (rateable value of £51,000 or more) will increase from 54.6p to 55.5p.
There are no changes to UK Income Tax rates or thresholds for 2025-26. These apply to individual taxpayers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Different rates apply if you live in Scotland.
There are no changes to the rates of primary Class 1 National Insurance contributions or Class 4 NICs. Class 1 is payable by employees and company directors, while Class 4 NICs apply to self-employed individuals.
However, voluntary National Insurance rates will increase slightly for 2025-26. Class 2 NICs will rise to £3.50 per week, while Class 3 NICs will increase to £17.75 per week.
The dividend allowance for 2025-26 will remain unchanged at £500. This means that company shareholders will continue to receive the first £500 of dividend income from shares tax-free.
We hope this guide to UK tax year dates and deadlines is helpful. Please comment below if you have any questions.
Explore the Rapid Formations Blog for more limited company guidance, business advice, and insights.
If you would like to register a company , the best place to start is Rapid Formations’ homepage. There, you can find out if your company name is available for use.