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Self Assessment 2025/26: a calm checklist before 31 January

The online deadline for 2025/26 returns is 31 January 2027. Here is what to gather now so January is quiet, not frantic.

Sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 joined MTD in April 2026. The £30,000 and £20,000 groups follow in 2027 and 2028.

VAT registration is based on a rolling 12-month total, not your tax year. Here is how the test works and why the timing matters.

Both structures can work well. The right one depends on your profits, your plans and how much admin you are happy to take on.

Every legitimate expense reduces the profit you pay tax on. Here are the costs people most often forget, and the rules that apply.

Most owner-directors combine a modest salary with dividends. Higher dividend tax rates from April 2026 make the numbers worth rechecking.

Your first hire is a big step. Here is what HMRC and the law expect from you before the first payday.

Good records make returns quicker, help you claim everything you are owed and protect you if HMRC asks questions.

Landlords face two big changes: quarterly digital reporting and, from April 2027, separate higher tax rates on property income.

Profit tells you whether the business works. Cash flow tells you whether you can pay next month's bills. Here is a simple way to see it coming.