UK Tax Deadlines 2025-26 & 2026-27
Key dates for Self Assessment, PAYE, VAT, Capital Gains Tax, and National Insurance. Stay ahead of HMRC deadlines and avoid penalties.
Next important deadline
days away
Coming up: 31 July 2026
Second payment on account for 2025-26
Second instalment of estimated income tax for 2025-26. Based on your previous year's tax bill. For most Self Assessment taxpayers this is the largest single tax payment of the summer. There is no fixed penalty for paying a payment on account late, but daily interest at 7.75% runs from the day after the deadline. How payments on account work — or read the SA303 reduction guide if you expect a lower bill this year.
Categories
Deadline Timeline
April 2026
New tax year 2026-27 begins
The 2026-27 tax year starts. New rates and thresholds take effect.
CGT on UK property — 60-day reporting
Capital gains on UK residential property must be reported and paid within 60 days of completion. This is an ongoing obligation, not a single deadline.
Late reporting penalties and interest apply.
Corporation Tax payment — 9 months and 1 day
Companies with profits up to £1.5 million must pay Corporation Tax 9 months and 1 day after the end of their accounting period. The date depends on your company's year end — an ongoing obligation, not a single deadline.
Daily late-payment interest from the due date. Larger companies (profits over £1.5m) pay by quarterly instalments instead.
Company Tax Return (CT600) — 12 months
The Company Tax Return is due 12 months after the end of the accounting period it covers. The date depends on your company's year end — an ongoing obligation, not a single deadline.
£200 if one day late, another £200 at 3 months, then 10% of unpaid tax at 6 and 12 months. Three consecutive late returns raise the flat penalties to £1,000 each.
PAYE — month 12 payment (2025-26)
Monthly PAYE, NI, and student loan payments due to HMRC. Applies to employers and pension providers.
May 2026
VAT return — quarter ending 31 March 2026
Submit VAT return and pay any VAT due for the quarter ending 31 March 2026.
Late filing adds a penalty point — a £200 penalty at 4 points for quarterly filers. Late payment: 3% of VAT owing at day 15, a further 3% at day 30, then 10% per year accruing daily.
P60 deadline
Employers must provide P60 forms to all employees for the 2025-26 tax year.
July 2026
P11D and P11D(b) deadline
Employers must submit P11D forms (benefits in kind) and the P11D(b) employer declaration to HMRC for the 2025-26 tax year, and give employees their copies.
P11D(b) filed late: £100 per 50 employees for each month (or part month) it is outstanding.
CIS monthly return (CIS300)
Contractors must file the CIS monthly return for the tax month ending 5 July. The return must reach HMRC by the 19th of every month, even when nil.
£100 if one day late, £200 at 2 months, then the higher of £300 or 5% of the CIS deductions at 6 and 12 months.
Class 1A NIC payment (P11D benefits)
Employers must pay Class 1A National Insurance on 2025-26 benefits in kind. Electronic payment must clear by 22 July; postal payment by 19 July.
5% of unpaid Class 1A NIC after 30 days, further 5% at 6 and 12 months, plus daily late-payment interest.
PAYE — month 3 payment (2026-27)
Monthly PAYE, NI, CIS and student loan deductions due to HMRC — electronic payment by the 22nd of each month (19th if paying by post).
Second payment on account due
Second instalment of estimated income tax for 2025-26. Based on your previous year's tax bill.
Interest charged from the day after the deadline on any unpaid amount.
August 2026
VAT return — quarter ending 30 June 2026
Submit VAT return and pay any VAT due for the quarter ending 30 June 2026.
Late filing adds a penalty point — a £200 penalty at 4 points for quarterly filers. Late payment: 3% of VAT owing at day 15, a further 3% at day 30, then 10% per year accruing daily.
October 2026
Register for Self Assessment
Deadline to register for Self Assessment if you became self-employed or had untaxed income in the 2025-26 tax year.
Late registration may lead to penalties if your tax return is subsequently filed late.
Paper tax return deadline
Deadline for submitting a paper Self Assessment tax return for the 2025-26 tax year.
£100 penalty if filed late, even if no tax is owed.
November 2026
VAT return — quarter ending 30 September 2026
Submit VAT return and pay any VAT due for the quarter ending 30 September 2026.
Late filing adds a penalty point — a £200 penalty at 4 points for quarterly filers. Late payment: 3% of VAT owing at day 15, a further 3% at day 30, then 10% per year accruing daily.
December 2026
Self Assessment — PAYE coding deadline
If you file online by this date and owe less than £3,000, HMRC can collect the tax through your PAYE code for 2027-28.
January 2027
Online Self Assessment deadline
Deadline for filing your 2025-26 Self Assessment tax return online and paying any tax owed (balancing payment + first payment on account for 2026-27).
£100 immediate penalty for late filing. Interest on unpaid tax from 1 February. Further penalties at 3, 6, and 12 months.
Voluntary Class 2/3 NI — gap year deadline
Last date to pay voluntary NI contributions for the 2025-26 tax year to fill gaps in your National Insurance record.
February 2027
VAT return — quarter ending 31 December 2026
Submit VAT return and pay any VAT due for the quarter ending 31 December 2026.
Late filing adds a penalty point — a £200 penalty at 4 points for quarterly filers. Late payment: 3% of VAT owing at day 15, a further 3% at day 30, then 10% per year accruing daily.
April 2027
End of 2026-27 tax year
Last day of the 2026-27 tax year. Ensure all tax-year-specific actions are completed.
What happens if you miss a deadline
Each HMRC regime penalises lateness differently — and filing penalties are always separate from payment penalties. The figures below are the statutory amounts under Finance Act 2009 Schedules 55 and 56 (Self Assessment) and the points-based regime for VAT. To see your own numbers, use the Self Assessment penalty calculator.
Self Assessment — late filing
These apply per return, whether or not any tax is owed. Miss the paper deadline (31 October 2026 for 2025-26) and you can still avoid every filing penalty by filing online by 31 January.
| How late | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 1 day late | £100 fixed penalty — applies even if you owe no tax or are due a refund |
| 3 months late | £10 per day for up to 90 days (£900 maximum) |
| 6 months late | The greater of £300 or 5% of the tax due |
| 12 months late | Another greater of £300 or 5% of the tax due — up to 100% if HMRC finds the failure deliberate and concealed |
Self Assessment — late payment
Interest runs from day one at 7.75% per year (HMRC's late-payment rate: Bank of England base rate plus 4 percentage points). Surcharges then stack on any balancing payment still unpaid:
| Still unpaid at | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| 30 days after the due date | 5% of the tax still unpaid |
| 6 months after the due date | A further 5% of the tax still unpaid |
| 12 months after the due date | A further 5% of the tax still unpaid |
Surcharges apply to the balancing payment only. Late payments on account attract interest but no surcharge — see payments on account below. If you cannot pay, a Time to Pay arrangement agreed before a surcharge date stops that surcharge being charged.
VAT — penalty points and late payment
Late VAT returns earn one penalty point each. At your threshold — 4 points for quarterly filers, 5 for monthly, 2 for annual — HMRC charges a £200 penalty, then £200 for every further late return until you complete a clean 12-month compliance period. Late payment is penalised separately: nothing if you pay within 15 days of the due date, 3% of the VAT owing at day 15 if you pay between days 16 and 30, a further 3% of what is still outstanding at day 30, then a second penalty accruing at 10% per year daily from day 31. Interest runs from day one on top.
Full quarter-by-quarter dates and the points rules are in our VAT return deadlines and payment dates 2026 guide.
PAYE, CIS and P11D
Employers must pay PAYE, NI and CIS deductions by the 22nd of each month (19th by post), and contractors must file the CIS monthly return by the 19th — next due 19 July 2026. A late CIS return costs £100 from day one, £200 at 2 months, then the higher of £300 or 5% of the deductions at 6 and 12 months. For benefits in kind, a late P11D(b) costs £100 per 50 employees for each month or part month outstanding, and Class 1A National Insurance paid after 22 July picks up a 5% penalty at 30 days (further 5% at 6 and 12 months) plus daily interest.
Corporation Tax
Corporation Tax itself is due 9 months and 1 day after the end of the accounting period (companies with profits over £1.5 million pay by quarterly instalments); pay late and daily interest applies. The Company Tax Return (CT600) is due 12 months after the period ends — £200 if it is one day late, another £200 at 3 months, then 10% of the unpaid tax at 6 and 12 months. File late three times in a row and the flat penalties rise to £1,000 each.
Payments on account: the 31 January and 31 July instalments
Payments on account are advance instalments towards your next Self Assessment bill. HMRC requires them when your last bill was over £1,000, unless at least 80% of your tax was collected at source (through PAYE, CIS or a pension payer). Each instalment is 50% of your previous year's income tax plus Class 4 National Insurance — Capital Gains Tax, student loan repayments and Class 2 NIC are excluded from the instalments and settle with the balancing payment.
- First instalment: 31 January, during the tax year (alongside the previous year's balancing payment).
- Second instalment: 31 July, after the tax year ends — 31 July 2026 for 2025-26.
- Balancing payment: the following 31 January, when the actual liability is known.
Reducing your instalments (SA303). If you expect this year's liability to be lower — income fell, bigger pension contributions, a move into PAYE employment — you can claim to reduce your payments on account via your HMRC online account or form SA303. The trade-off: over-reduce and HMRC charges late-payment interest (currently 7.75%) on the shortfall, backdated to each instalment's original due date. Worked example 3 below shows what that costs. Our 31 July payment on account guide covers who typically benefits from a reduction and how to make the claim.
Worked examples: what lateness actually costs
All figures below are computed with the same engine as our Self Assessment penalty calculator, using HMRC's current late-payment interest rate of 7.75%.
Example 1 — 2025-26 return filed 31 May 2027, paid 30 September 2027
A sole trader misses the 31 January 2027 deadline with £4,000 of tax owing, files four months late and clears the bill at the end of September. Filing was 120 days late and payment 242 days late.
| Missed filing deadline | £100.00 |
| Daily penalties (30 days × £10) | £300.00 |
| 30 days unpaid — 5% surcharge | £200.00 |
| 6 months unpaid — further 5% surcharge | £200.00 |
| Late-payment interest (242 days at 7.75%) | £205.53 |
| Total penalties and interest | £1,005.53 |
That is on top of the £4,000 tax itself — roughly 25% added for eight months of delay.
Example 2 — payments on account on an £8,000 bill, July instalment paid two months late
A freelancer's 2024-25 return showed £5,600 income tax and £2,400 Class 4 NIC — a relevant amount of £8,000, none of it collected at source. HMRC sets two payments on account for 2025-26 of £4,000 each, due 31 January 2026 and 31 July 2026. The July instalment is paid on 30 September 2026 — 61 days late.
- Late-payment surcharge: £0.00 — payments on account never attract the 5% surcharge.
- Interest at 7.75% for 61 days: £51.81.
Cheap compared with a missed balancing payment — but interest compounds across instalments, and an unpaid July instalment is usually a warning sign for the much larger 31 January bill that follows.
Example 3 — SA303 reduction that turned out too optimistic
The same freelancer expects a quieter year and reduces each £4,000 instalment to £2,500 (claiming an expected liability of £5,000). The actual 2025-26 liability comes in unchanged, so each instalment was £1,500 short. HMRC charges interest on each shortfall from its original due date to the balancing date of 31 January 2027:
- January instalment shortfall (365 days): £116.25
- July instalment shortfall (184 days): £58.60
- Total interest for over-reducing: £174.85
There is no penalty for a genuine, reasonable SA303 estimate that proves wrong — just interest. Deliberately understating a claim can attract a penalty. Reduce only to what you can evidence.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Self Assessment tax return deadline?
The deadline for filing your Self Assessment tax return online is 31 January following the end of the tax year. For the 2025-26 tax year (which ends 5 April 2026), the online filing deadline is 31 January 2027. If you prefer to submit a paper return, the earlier deadline of 31 October applies — for 2025-26 that is 31 October 2026. You must also pay any tax owed by 31 January.
What happens if I miss the Self Assessment filing deadline?
A £100 penalty applies immediately, even if you owe no tax or are due a refund. After 3 months, daily £10 penalties accrue for up to 90 days (£900 maximum). At 6 months and again at 12 months, HMRC adds the greater of £300 or 5% of the tax due. Filing penalties are separate from late-payment penalties, so it is always worth filing on time even if you cannot pay immediately.
What happens if I pay my Self Assessment tax late?
Late-payment interest runs from the day after the due date at HMRC's late-payment rate (currently 7.75%, set at Bank of England base rate plus 4 percentage points). On top of interest, a 5% surcharge applies to any balancing payment still unpaid 30 days after the deadline, with further 5% surcharges at 6 months and 12 months. Surcharges apply to the balancing payment only — late payments on account attract interest but no surcharge.
What is a payment on account?
Payments on account are advance instalments towards your next Self Assessment bill. HMRC requires them when your last bill exceeded £1,000, unless at least 80% of your tax was collected at source. Each instalment is 50% of your previous year's income tax plus Class 4 National Insurance, due on 31 January (during the tax year) and 31 July (after it ends). Any difference is settled through a balancing payment the following 31 January.
Can I reduce my 31 July payment on account?
Yes. If you expect your current-year liability to be lower than last year's, you can apply to reduce your payments on account using form SA303 or your HMRC online account. Be careful not to over-reduce: if you cut your instalments below what your actual liability supports, HMRC charges late-payment interest (currently 7.75%) on the shortfall, backdated to each instalment's original due date.
When are VAT returns due, and what are the penalties?
Most VAT returns and payments are due one calendar month and 7 days after the end of the VAT period. Late submission earns one penalty point per return; at your threshold (4 points for quarterly filers, 5 for monthly, 2 for annual) HMRC charges a £200 penalty, plus £200 for every further late return. Late payment is penalised separately: no penalty if you pay within 15 days, 3% of the VAT owing at day 15 if you pay between days 16 and 30, a further 3% of what is still outstanding at day 30, then a second penalty accruing at 10% per year daily from day 31 — with interest running from day one.
When are PAYE and CIS payments due each month?
Employers must pay PAYE, National Insurance and CIS deductions by the 22nd of the following tax month if paying electronically, or the 19th if paying by post. Contractors must also file the CIS monthly return by the 19th of every month — a £100 penalty applies if it is one day late, rising to £200 at 2 months and the higher of £300 or 5% of the CIS deductions at 6 and 12 months.
When is Corporation Tax due?
Companies with taxable profits up to £1.5 million must pay Corporation Tax 9 months and 1 day after the end of their accounting period; larger companies pay by quarterly instalments. The Company Tax Return (CT600) is due separately, 12 months after the period ends. Filing it late costs £200 from day one, another £200 at 3 months, then 10% of the unpaid tax at 6 and 12 months — and three consecutive late returns raise the flat penalties to £1,000 each.
What was the P11D deadline, and what if I missed it?
P11D and P11D(b) forms for the 2025-26 tax year were due on 6 July 2026, and this deadline has now passed. A late P11D(b) costs £100 per 50 employees for each month or part month it remains outstanding, so filing quickly limits the damage. The related Class 1A National Insurance payment is due by 22 July 2026 (electronic) — pay late and a 5% penalty applies after 30 days, with further 5% penalties at 6 and 12 months plus daily interest.
When does the UK tax year start and end?
The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year. For example, the 2025-26 tax year starts on 6 April 2025 and ends on 5 April 2026. The 2026-27 tax year then begins on 6 April 2026. This unusual start date dates back to the calendar reforms of 1752.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Self Assessment deadlines
- GOV.UK — VAT return deadlines
- GOV.UK — Report and pay Capital Gains Tax
- GOV.UK — Pay PAYE tax and National Insurance
- GOV.UK — Self Assessment penalties
- GOV.UK — Payments on account
- GOV.UK — How late payment penalties work if you pay VAT late
- GOV.UK — CIS monthly returns
- GOV.UK — Pay Class 1A National Insurance
- GOV.UK — Company Tax Return late-filing penalties
- GOV.UK — HMRC interest rates for late and early payments
Last updated July 2026. Covers 2025-26 and 2026-27 tax years.
2026 filing deadlines: P11D calculator, P11D 6 July penalties, P11D vs P11D(b), Self Assessment hub