UK Finance Act 2025
Tax Card

(Tax year April 1st, 2025 - March 31st, 2026)

Income Tax

Allowances
Allowances 2025/26 2024/25
Personal Allowance (PA) £12,570 £12,570
Marriage Allowance £1,260 £1,260
Blind Person’s Allowance £3,130 £3,070
Rent-a-room relief* £7,500 £7,500
Trading income allowance* £1,000 £1,000
Property income allowance* £1,000 £1,000
  • Personal Allowance is withdrawn at £1 for every £2 by which ‘adjusted income’ exceeds £100,000. There is no allowance given above £125,140.
  • Marriage Allowance The part of the PA that is transferable to a spouse or civil partner who is not a higher or additional rate taxpayer.
  • * If gross income exceeds this, the limit may be deducted instead of actual expenses.
Rate Bands
Rate bands 2025/26 2024/25
Basic Rate Band (BRB) £1 - £37,700 £1 - £37,700
Higher Rate Band (HRB) £37,701 – £125,140 £37,701 – £125,140
Additional rate over £125,140 over £125,140
Personal Savings Allowance (PSA): – Basic rate taxpayer £1,000 – Higher rate taxpayer £500
Dividend Allowance (DA) £500 £1,000
Tax Rates

Rates differ for General/Savings/Dividend income

2025/26 General Income Savings Income Dividends Income
Basic rate % 20% 20% 8.75%
Higher rate % 40% 40% 33.75%
Additional rate % 45% 45% 39.35%

BRB and additional rate threshold are increased by personal pension contributions (up to permitted limit) and Gift Aid donations.

General income (salary, pensions, business profits, rent) usually uses personal allowance, basic rate and higher rate bands before savings income (mainly interest).

Where savings income falls in the first £5,000 of the BRB, it is taxed at nil rather than 20%.

The PSA taxes interest at nil, where it would otherwise be taxable at 20% or 40%.

Dividends are normally taxed as the ‘top slice’ of income. The DA taxes the first £500 of dividend income at nil, rather than the rate that would otherwise apply.

High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC)

1% of child benefit for each £200 of adjusted net income between £60,000 and £80,000.

Corporation Tax

Year to 31.3.2026 31.3.2025
Main rate (profits above £250,000) 25% 25%
Small profits rate (profits up to £50,000) 19% 19%
Marginal relief band (MRB) £50k – £250k £50k – £250k
Fraction in MRB (effective marginal rate) 3/200 (26.5%) 3/200 (26.5%)

Capital Gains Tax

Lower rate 18%
Higher rate 24%
Annual exempt amount £3,000
Business asset disposal relief
Lifetime limit £1,000,000
Rate of tax 14%

National Insurance Contributions

Class 1 Employee
£1 - £12,570 per yearNil
£12,571 - £50,270 per year8%
£50,271 and above per year2%
Class 1 Employer
£1 - £5,000 per yearNil
£5,001 and above per year15%
Employment allowance£10,500
Class 1A
Rate15%
Class 4
£1 - £12,570 per yearNil
£12,571 - £50,270 per year6%
£50,271 and above per year2%

Where weekly or monthly calculations are required, the Class 1 limits shown above should be divided by 52 (weekly) or 12 (monthly) as applicable.

Main Capital Allowances

Plant and machinery allowances
Year to 31.3.26 Year to 31.3.25
Plant and Machinery
– Main Pool 18% 18%
– Special Rate Pool 6% 6%
Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)
– expenditure up to £1m 100% 100%
Enhanced capital allowances for companies
Main Pool first year allowance 100% 100%
Special Rate Pool first year allowance 50% 50%
Motor cars purchased
CO2 (g/km) Allowance
New cars only Nil 100%
In general pool up to 50 18%
In special rate pool above 50 6%
Structures And Buildings Allowance
Fixed deduction per annum 3%

Vehicle Benefits

Cars

Taxable benefit: List price of car multiplied by chargeable percentage.

CO2 g/km Electric Range miles 2025/26 2024/25
0N/A32
1-50>13032
1-5070 – 12965
1-5040 – 6998
1-5030 – 391312
1-50<301514
51-54N/A1615
  • Then a further 1% for each 5g/km CO2 emissions, up to a maximum of 37%.
  • Diesel cars that are not RDE2 standard suffer a 4% supplement on the above figures but are still capped at 37%.
Vans

Chargeable value of £4,020 (2024/25: £3,960) if private use is more than home-to-work. Zero-emission vans charged at £Nil (2024/25: £Nil).

Fuel

Employer provides fuel for private motoring in an employer-owned:

  • Car: CO2-based percentage from above table multiplied by £28,200 (2024/25: £27,800).
  • Van: £769 (2024/25: £757).

Tax-Free Mileage Allowances

Employee’s own transport per business mile
Cars first 10,000 miles45p
Cars over 10,000 miles25p
Business passengers5p
Motorcycles24p
Bicycles20p

Value Added Tax

Standard rate (1/6 of VAT-inclusive price) 20%

From 1.4.2024 Pre 1.4.2024
Registration level – Taxable turnover £90,000 £85,000
Deregistration level – Taxable turnover £88,000 £83,000

Flat Rate Scheme (FRS)

Annual taxable turnover to enter scheme Up to £150,000
Must leave scheme if annual gross turnover Exceeds £230,000

If using FRS, the VAT paid by the business is a fixed percentage (based on business category) of ‘FRS turnover’ rather than the net of output tax over input tax. Input tax is usually not recoverable.

Inheritance Tax

2025/26 2024/25
Nil rate band (NRB)£325,000£325,000
NRB Residential enhancement (RNRB)175,000175,000
Tax rate on death40%40%
Tax rate on lifetime transfers to most trusts20%20%

100% Business Property Relief (BPR) for all shareholdings in qualifying unquoted trading companies, qualifying unincorporated trading businesses and certain farmland/buildings.

Reduced Tax Charge on Gifts Within 7 Years Before Death

Years before death 0-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7
% of full death tax charge payable 100 80 60 40 20

Annual exemptions for lifetime gifts include £3,000 per donor and £250 per recipient.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Payment dates - Self assessment
2025/26 2024/25
1st payment on account (online)31 January 20262025
2nd payment on account31 July 20262025
Balancing payment31 January 20272026
Capital Gains Tax*31 January 20262025
Other payment dates
Class 1A NIC19 July 20262025
Issuing annual P60s to employees31 May 20272026
Self Assessment return deadline (paper/postal)31 Oct 20252024

Corporation tax is due 9 months and 1 day from the end of the accounting period, unless a ‘large’ company paying by quarterly instalments.

* For 24/25 tax year, taxpayers must report and pay and CGT within the 60 days of the completion date of the disposal.