Reference

Tax years 2025/26 and 2026/27

The dates and figures the spreadsheets use, in one place. Each figure names the gov.uk page it comes from. The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April.

Last year

2025/26

6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026. Ended 5 April 2026. The online Self Assessment return and any tax owed are due by 31 January 2027.

Date	What happens
5 April 2026	Tax year ended
5 October 2026	Register for Self Assessment if 2025/26 was your first year of self-employment
31 October 2026	Paper tax return deadline
31 January 2027	Online tax return, balancing payment, and first payment on account for 2026/27
31 July 2027	Second payment on account for 2026/27

This year

2026/27

6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027. Runs to 5 April 2027. The Sole Trader Bookkeeping and Director Salary vs Dividend spreadsheets carry both years' rates: choose the year in Settings.

Date	What happens
7 August 2026	Making Tax Digital: first quarterly update (6 April to 5 July), if you are in from April 2026
7 November 2026	Making Tax Digital: second quarterly update (6 July to 5 October)
7 February 2027	Making Tax Digital: third quarterly update (6 October to 5 January)
5 April 2027	Tax year ends
7 May 2027	Making Tax Digital: fourth quarterly update (6 January to 5 April)
5 October 2027	Register for Self Assessment if 2026/27 is your first year of self-employment
31 October 2027	Paper tax return deadline
31 January 2028	Online tax return and balancing payment

Key figures

Rates for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish income tax bands differ and are on the spreadsheets' Settings tabs.

Income tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Figure	2025/26	2026/27	Source
Personal allowance	£12,570	£12,570	gov.uk: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances. Frozen until April 2031 (Autumn Budget 2025).
Basic rate 20%, on taxable income up to	£37,700	£37,700	gov.uk: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances.
Higher rate 40%, total income above	£50,270	£50,270	gov.uk: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances.
Additional rate 45%, total income above	£125,140	£125,140	gov.uk: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances.
Personal allowance tapers away from total income of	£100,000	£100,000	gov.uk: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances. £1 of allowance lost for every £2 over.

Self-employed National Insurance

Figure	2025/26	2026/27	Source
Class 4: 6% on profits between	£12,570 and £50,270	£12,570 and £50,270	gov.uk: Self-employed National Insurance rates.
Class 4 above the upper limit	2%	2%	gov.uk: Self-employed National Insurance rates.
Class 2 small profits threshold (credit only, nothing to pay)	£6,845	£7,105	gov.uk: Rates and allowances, National Insurance contributions.
Voluntary Class 2, per week	£3.50	£3.65	gov.uk: Rates and allowances, National Insurance contributions.

Sole trader allowances and simplified expenses

Figure	2025/26	2026/27	Source
Trading allowance	£1,000	£1,000	gov.uk: Tax-free allowances on property and trading income.
Mileage: cars and vans, first 10,000 business miles	45p a mile	55p a mile (journeys from 6 April 2026)	gov.uk: Simplified expenses, vehicles. Checked 29 September 2026.
Mileage: cars and vans, over 10,000 miles	25p a mile	25p a mile	gov.uk: Simplified expenses, vehicles.
Mileage: motorcycles	24p a mile	24p a mile	gov.uk: Simplified expenses, vehicles.
Working from home, flat rate per month: 25 to 50 hours	£10	£10	gov.uk: Simplified expenses, working from home.
Working from home, 51 to 100 hours	£18	£18	gov.uk: Simplified expenses, working from home.
Working from home, 101 hours or more	£26	£26	gov.uk: Simplified expenses, working from home.
VAT registration threshold (taxable turnover in any 12 months)	£90,000	£90,000	gov.uk: VAT registration.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

Figure	2025/26	2026/27	Source
Qualifying income over £50,000 in 2024/25	Prepare	In from 6 April 2026	gov.uk: Check if you're eligible for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Checked 29 September 2026.
Qualifying income over £30,000 in 2025/26	Not yet	In from 6 April 2027	gov.uk: Check if you're eligible for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Qualifying income over £20,000 in 2026/27	Not yet	In from 6 April 2028	gov.uk: Check if you're eligible for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.

Limited company directors

Figure	2025/26	2026/27	Source
Dividend allowance	£500	£500	gov.uk: Tax on dividends. Checked 29 September 2026.
Dividend tax, basic rate band	8.75%	10.75%	gov.uk: Tax on dividends (rates rose by 2 points from 6 April 2026, Autumn Budget 2025).
Dividend tax, higher rate band	33.75%	35.75%	gov.uk: Tax on dividends.
Dividend tax, additional rate	39.35%	39.35%	gov.uk: Tax on dividends.
Employer National Insurance, above £5,000 a year	15%	15%	gov.uk: Rates and thresholds for employers.
Employment Allowance (not for a sole director who is the only employee)	£10,500	£10,500	gov.uk: Employment Allowance.
Employee National Insurance, 8% between	£12,570 and £50,270	£12,570 and £50,270	gov.uk: Rates and thresholds for employers.
Lower earnings limit (a salary at or above it earns a State Pension year)	£6,500	£6,708	gov.uk: Rates and thresholds for employers.
Corporation tax: small profits rate up to £50,000	19%	19%	gov.uk: Corporation Tax rates and reliefs.
Corporation tax: main rate from £250,000 (marginal relief between)	25%	25%	gov.uk: Corporation Tax rates and reliefs.

Households

Figure	2025/26	2026/27	Source
Child Benefit, eldest or only child, per week	£26.05	£27.05	gov.uk: Rates and allowances, Child Benefit.
Child Benefit, each additional child, per week	£17.25	£17.90	gov.uk: Rates and allowances, Child Benefit.
High Income Child Benefit Charge starts at (highest earner's income)	£60,000	£60,000	gov.uk: High Income Child Benefit Charge. Fully clawed back at £80,000.

Figures are the ones the PlainSums spreadsheets use on their Settings tabs, each taken from the gov.uk page named beside it (checked 22 September 2026; mileage, Making Tax Digital and dividend figures checked again on 29 September 2026).