UK tax dates, rates and thresholds
The deadlines and figures our clients ask about most, for the 2026/27 tax year. Every one is linked to the page on gov.uk it came from, so you can check it yourself.
Key dates
Self Assessment
Dates shown are for the 2025/26 tax year, which ended 5 April 2026.
| When | What is due | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 5 October 2026 | Register for Self Assessment | Deadline to tell HMRC you need to file for the first time for the 2025/26 tax year. |
| 31 October 2026 | Paper return deadline | HMRC must receive a paper return by 11:59pm. |
| 30 December 2026 | Filing to pay through your tax code | Submit online by 11:59pm if you want an amount under £3,000 collected through PAYE. |
| 31 January 2027 | Online return and balancing payment | Online return and any tax owed for 2025/26 are both due by 11:59pm. |
| 31 July 2027 | Second payment on account | Due where payments on account apply. |
Source: gov.uk
Limited companies
Measured from your own accounting period, so the calendar date differs for every company.
| When | What is due | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 9 months after year end | Annual accounts to Companies House | For a private limited company. |
| 21 months after registration | First accounts to Companies House | Applies only to a company’s first set of accounts. |
| 9 months and 1 day after year end | Pay Corporation Tax | Or tell HMRC the company owes none. Note this falls BEFORE the filing deadline. |
| 12 months after year end | File the Company Tax Return (CT600) | Three months after the tax is due to be paid. |
Source: gov.uk
Rates for 2026/27
Income tax 2026/27
Rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland sets its own income tax bands.
| Personal Allowance | £12,570 | Reduced by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000, reaching nil at £125,140. |
| Basic rate | 20% | On taxable income from £12,571 to £50,270. |
| Higher rate | 40% | From £50,271 to £125,140. |
| Additional rate | 45% | Above £125,140. |
Source: gov.uk
Dividends 2026/27
The ordinary and upper rates both rose by two percentage points in April 2026. Figures published before then are out of date.
| Dividend allowance | £500 | Dividends within the allowance are not taxed. |
| Ordinary rate | 10.75% | Was 8.75% before April 2026. |
| Upper rate | 35.75% | Was 33.75% before April 2026. |
| Additional rate | 39.35% | Unchanged. |
Source: gov.uk
Corporation tax From 1 April 2023
The £50,000 and £250,000 limits are reduced proportionately for short accounting periods and divided by the number of associated companies.
| Small profits rate | 19% | Profits of £50,000 or less. |
| Main rate | 25% | Profits above £250,000. |
| Marginal relief | Applies | Profits between £50,000 and £250,000, giving an effective rate between the two. |
Source: gov.uk
VAT Current
The threshold is tested on a rolling 12-month basis, not on your accounting year.
| Registration threshold | £90,000 | Register within 30 days of the end of the month you went over. |
Source: gov.uk
Employers Current
Claimed against employer Class 1 National Insurance only.
| Employment Allowance | Up to £10,500 | Per tax year, for eligible employers. |
Source: gov.uk
When Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to you
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax replaces one annual Self Assessment return with digital record keeping and quarterly updates to HMRC. It applies to sole traders and landlords, and it is being phased in by income level.
| You must comply from | If qualifying income is | Measured on |
|---|---|---|
| 6 April 2026 | Over £50,000 | Tested on your 2024/25 return |
| 6 April 2027 | Over £30,000 | Tested on your 2025/26 return |
| 6 April 2028 | Over £20,000 | Tested on your 2026/27 return |
Qualifying income means the gross income from self-employment and property before expenses, added together. Exemptions exist, including for digital exclusion.
Source: gov.uk
Changes already announced
These are legislated or announced but not all in force yet. Most published guidance still shows the old position, which is why we set them out separately.
The ordinary rate rose from 8.75% to 10.75% and the upper rate from 33.75% to 35.75%. The additional rate stayed at 39.35%. This is already in force.
Source: gov.uk
Property income gets its own rates of 22%, 42% and 47%, sitting two percentage points above the equivalent main rates. Relief for residential finance costs will be given at the separate property basic rate of 22% rather than 20%.
Source: gov.uk
Rates on savings interest rise to 22%, 42% and 47%.
Source: gov.uk
Questions about deadlines and rates
When is the Self Assessment deadline?
For the 2025/26 tax year, the online return and any tax owed are both due by 11:59pm on 31 January 2027. A paper return is due by 31 October 2026. If you need to register for Self Assessment for the first time, the deadline is 5 October 2026.
When is corporation tax due?
Corporation tax is payable nine months and one day after the end of your accounting period. The Company Tax Return is not due until twelve months after the period end, so the payment deadline falls three months before the filing deadline. That ordering catches a lot of directors out.
What is the VAT registration threshold?
The VAT registration threshold is £90,000 of taxable turnover. It is tested on a rolling 12-month basis rather than against your accounting year, and you must register within 30 days of the end of the month in which you went over it.
What are the dividend tax rates for 2026/27?
For 2026/27 the dividend allowance is £500. Above that, the ordinary rate is 10.75%, the upper rate is 35.75% and the additional rate is 39.35%. The ordinary and upper rates both rose by two percentage points in April 2026, so any figure showing 8.75% or 33.75% is out of date.
When does Making Tax Digital for Income Tax apply to me?
It applies to sole traders and landlords from 6 April 2026 where qualifying income is over £50,000, from 6 April 2027 over £30,000, and from 6 April 2028 over £20,000. The threshold is tested against the return you filed two tax years earlier, not the year you are in.
What is changing for landlords in April 2027?
Property income gets its own set of tax rates from 6 April 2027, at 22%, 42% and 47%. Relief for residential finance costs, such as buy-to-let mortgage interest, will then be given at the separate property basic rate of 22% rather than 20%.
This page is general information, not advice for your circumstances, and it does not cover every rule or exception. Rates for Scotland differ on income tax. Always check the linked gov.uk source, and speak to us before acting on anything here.
Not sure which of these apply to you?
Tell us about the business and we will tell you exactly which deadlines and rates you need to worry about. The first consultation is free.