Tax and HMRC guides

VAT

VAT guides

Everything you need to know about Value Added Tax, from registration to returns and the Flat Rate Scheme.

🧾 How to register for VAT When you must register, how to register online, and what happens after your VAT number is issued. Guide 📊 VAT rates and exemptions explained Standard, reduced and zero rates, plus the categories of goods and services that are exempt from VAT. Guide 📁 How to complete a VAT return Step-by-step guide to filing your VAT return through MTD-compatible software. Guide 💡 VAT Flat Rate Scheme — is it worth it? How the Flat Rate Scheme works, who qualifies, and when it saves money. Guide 🔢 Making Tax Digital for VAT — complete guide MTD for VAT is mandatory for all registered businesses. What you need, how to comply, and which software to use. Guide

Income Tax

Income Tax guides

Income tax rates, bands, allowances and reliefs for employees, self-employed people and landlords.

💷 How the Personal Allowance works The standard Personal Allowance is £12,570. Understand how it is applied, when it is reduced, and the Marriage Allowance. Guide 📊 Income Tax rates and bands 2025/26 Basic, higher and additional rate thresholds, and how Scottish income tax differs from the rest of the UK. Guide 🔑 UK tax codes explained What your tax code means, common codes and suffixes, and how to check if yours is correct. Guide 💡 15 ways to reduce your income tax bill Legal strategies including pension contributions, ISAs, salary sacrifice and charitable giving. Guide 🎯 The 60% marginal rate trap How losing the Personal Allowance between £100,000 and £125,140 creates a 60% effective rate, and how to avoid it. Guide

National Insurance

National Insurance guides

NI contributions for employees, employers and the self-employed. How NI builds your State Pension entitlement.

🛡️ National Insurance explained What NI is, who pays it, the different classes, and how contributions build entitlement to the State Pension. Guide 🧑‍💼 NI for the self-employed 2025/26 Class 2 and Class 4 NI for sole traders: rates, thresholds and how to pay through Self Assessment. Guide 📋 NI rates and thresholds 2025/26 Primary and secondary thresholds, Class 1 employee and employer rates, and the upper earnings limit. Guide 🔍 How to check your NI record Use your Personal Tax Account to view your NI history, spot gaps, and see your State Pension forecast. Guide

Corporation Tax

Corporation Tax guides

CT rates, marginal relief, filing deadlines and allowable deductions for UK limited companies.

🏢 Corporation Tax rates 2026/27 Main rate 25%, small profits rate 19%, and marginal relief for profits between £50,000 and £250,000. Guide 📐 Marginal relief explained How marginal relief tapers the CT rate between the small profits and main rate thresholds, with worked examples. Guide 📄 How to file the CT600 Step-by-step guide to completing and submitting your Company Tax Return to HMRC. Guide 💡 Allowable expenses for limited companies Which business costs you can deduct before calculating Corporation Tax, and what HMRC disallows. Guide

Self Assessment

Self Assessment guides

How to register, what to report, deadlines, penalties and payment on account.

📋 Who needs to file a Self Assessment return? Full list of triggers for 2025/26: self-employment, rental income, income over £100,000, dividends and more. Guide 📝 How to register for Self Assessment Registering as a new taxpayer, or re-registering after a gap, through HMRC's online service. Guide 📅 Self Assessment deadlines 2025/26 Registration, paper filing, online filing and payment deadlines, plus what happens if you miss them. Guide 💰 Payments on account explained How HMRC's advance payment system works, how to reduce payments on account, and what to do if you cannot pay. Guide ⚠️ Self Assessment penalties and appeals Automatic late filing and late payment penalties, interest charges, and how to appeal an HMRC penalty. Guide

Capital Gains Tax

Capital Gains Tax guides

CGT rates, the annual exemption, Private Residence Relief, and how to report gains to HMRC.

📈 Capital Gains Tax — a complete guide What CGT is, what triggers it, the annual exemption, rates for 2025/26, and assets that are exempt. Guide 🏠 CGT on residential property How CGT applies to buy-to-let and second homes, Private Residence Relief, and the 60-day reporting deadline. Guide 🏭 Business Asset Disposal Relief How BADR reduces the CGT rate to 14% on qualifying business disposals, and the £1 million lifetime limit. Guide 📊 How to report capital gains to HMRC Using Real Time Capital Gains or Self Assessment to declare gains, and the deadlines for each method. Guide

Business Structures

Business structure guides

Sole trader versus limited company, partnerships, and how your choice of structure affects tax.

⚖️ Sole trader vs limited company Tax, liability, administration and accountancy costs compared. When to incorporate and when to stay as a sole trader. Guide 📊 How the salary and dividends strategy works How company directors take a low salary plus dividends to minimise tax — with worked examples for 2025/26. Guide 🏢 How to incorporate a limited company Registering with Companies House, issuing shares, setting up payroll, and opening a business bank account. Guide 🤝 Business partnerships — tax and structure How ordinary partnerships and LLPs are taxed, partner liability, and Partnership Tax Returns. Guide

PAYE

PAYE and employment tax

Pay As You Earn, employee benefits, expenses and the rules around tax-free payments.

👔 PAYE explained — how tax is collected from employees How employers deduct income tax and NI through PAYE, Real Time Information reporting, and tax codes. Guide 🚗 Company cars and benefits in kind How company cars and other benefits are taxed, P11D reporting, and optional remuneration arrangements. Guide 💼 Employer National Insurance — rates and thresholds Secondary NI threshold, employer rates, and the Employment Allowance for small businesses. Guide

Stamp Duty

Stamp Duty Land Tax

SDLT rates for residential and commercial property, the surcharge for additional properties, and reliefs.

🏠 SDLT rates 2025/26 — residential property Current Stamp Duty rates for first-time buyers, standard purchases, and the 5% surcharge for additional properties. Guide 🏗️ SDLT on commercial property Non-residential and mixed-use property rates, lease transactions, and when SDLT does not apply. Guide 💡 First-time buyer SDLT relief How first-time buyer relief reduces SDLT to zero on properties up to £425,000 and discounts on up to £625,000. Guide

Inheritance Tax

Inheritance Tax guides

IHT thresholds, the residence nil-rate band, exemptions and reliefs, and how to reduce an IHT liability.

🏛️ Inheritance Tax explained — the complete guide The nil-rate band, residence nil-rate band, the 40% rate, and who pays IHT and when. Guide 🎁 IHT gifts and exemptions Annual exemption, small gifts, normal expenditure out of income, and the seven-year rule. Guide 🌿 Business Relief and Agricultural Relief How Business Relief and Agricultural Relief can reduce an IHT bill to zero on qualifying assets. Guide