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|2 Nov 2026 · @Jen Chancellor John Healey delivered his first Autumn Budget on Wednesday 28 October 2026, and the good news first: the headline rates of income tax, National Insurance and VAT haven't changed. But look a little closer and a clear theme emerges. Income you don't earn through work, such as rental profits and savings interest, is being asked to contribute more. Meanwhile there's genuine help for sole traders, side-hustlers and high street businesses. Here's our r

Each year a number of people miss the paper tax return deadline without realising it was there. Most of us know that Self Assessment tax returns are due at the end of January, but that date only applies to returns filed online. If you send your tax return to HMRC on paper, the deadline is three months earlier, on 31 October. Two deadlines for the same tax return For the 2025 to 2026 tax year, which ran from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026, HMRC must receive most paper tax return

Today's the day. If you started working for yourself in the last tax year and haven't told HMRC yet, today, 5 October 2026, is the deadline to register for Self Assessment. Whether you're a new plumber in Whaley Bridge, a dog walker in Poynton or a freelancer anywhere across the High Peak, Derbyshire or Cheshire, here's what to do before midnight. Do you need to register today? You need to register by today if you need to complete a tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year (6

Self-Assessment can feel complicated, but the key dates and steps are manageable when you know what to expect. This guide explains the basics for sole traders in the UK in clear, practical language. Who needs to file a Self-Assessment tax return? You may need to register for Self-Assessment if you are self-employed as a sole trader and your gross trading income is more than £1,000 in a tax year, or if HMRC asks you to file a return. Other circumstances can apply, so check you

If you started self-employment, took on a first buy-to-let, or picked up any other untaxed income between 6th April 2025 and 5th April 2026, there's a date you need on your radar: 5th October 2026. That's HMRC's deadline to register for Self Assessment for the 2025/26 tax year. I say this every year, and I'll say it again: registering early isn't just about ticking a box. It's about giving yourself room to breathe. Why the date matters Once you register, HMRC posts you a Uniq

We've just passed a genuinely significant milestone in the world of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. 7 August 2026 was the deadline for the very first MTD quarterly update, and if you're a sole trader or landlord with qualifying income over £50,000, it applied to you. Did you get yours in? If you did — brilliant. You're now one of the first people in the country to have gone through a full MTD quarterly update, and honestly, the hardest part is usually just getting started.