If you file a Self-Assessment tax return and your last bill was over £1,000, you have a payment due on 31 July 2026. This is your second payment on account for the 2025/26 tax year. It is not a new bill. It is an advance instalment towards your current year's tax, based on what you owed last year. Many sole traders, landlords, and freelancers are caught off guard by this deadline. It arrives six months after the January rush, often when cash is tied up elsewhere. But HMRC tre

Choosing an accountant online means trusting someone you have never met with your tax return, your financial records, and your HMRC compliance. That is why reviews matter more here than in almost any other service. We looked at the UK's most popular online accountancy firms, checked their Trustpilot ratings, verified their pricing from their public websites, and compared what each one actually offers. Every figure in this article is sourced and can be checked by you directly.

If you are a sole trader in the UK, you need an accountant who can prepare your accounts, file your Self Assessment tax return, and keep you compliant with HMRC throughout the year. The question is how much that should cost. According to industry data, sole traders in the UK typically pay between £300 and £1,200 per year for professional accounting services. But not every provider charges the same, and some offer significantly better value than others. We compared five option

If you gave any employee or director something on top of their salary during the 2025/26 tax year, HMRC wants to know about it. The deadline to tell them is 6 July 2026. That is less than seven weeks away. This guide covers exactly what counts as a benefit in kind, what forms you need to file, how much Class 1A National Insurance you will owe, and what happens if you miss the deadline. Everything here is based on current HMRC guidance on expenses and benefits. What Is a

Payments on Account Explained: How to Calculate, Reduce, and Plan for the 31 July 2026 Deadline If you complete a Self Assessment tax return and your bill last year was over £1,000, you have a second tax payment coming up. The deadline is 31 July 2026. This payment surprises a lot of people, especially those new to self-employment. This guide explains exactly what payments on account are, how HMRC works them out, and how to reduce them if your income has dropped. Every

The UK tax year ends on 5 April 2026, and that triggers a string of deadlines every employer must meet. Miss one and HMRC penalties start within days. This checklist walks you through every task, in order, from your final pay run to your last P11D submission, with the exact dates you need to hit. We have used the latest HMRC guidance, the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP), and verified the updates make sure every figure and date here is current as of M