When Does the Tax Year End? UK Tax Year Dates 2026/27

Written by Samina, Epiclectic Editorial Team · Reviewed by Shahinur Chowdhury, Senior Accountant · Published 9 November 2026 · Last reviewed November 2026 · Applies to the 2026/27 tax year

Most people work, save and spend on a January to December calendar, so the UK’s tax calendar catches many of them out. The date matters more than it looks: it decides which year your income falls into, when your allowances reset and when your tax return is due. This guide answers when does the tax year end, why it ends on such an odd date, how it differs from a company’s financial year, and what to do before and after 5 April.

When Does the Tax Year End in the UK?

The UK tax year ends on 5 April. It does not move with weekends or bank holidays, and it is the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. GOV.UK describes the tax year as running from 6 April to 5 April, for example on its pages about your P60 and pension annual allowance (GOV.UK).

So if you are asking when does the tax year end for any year, the answer is always 5 April, and the next one begins on 6 April. Scotland has different Income Tax bands, but the tax year dates are identical across the United Kingdom.

UK Tax Year Dates: 2024/25 to 2029/30

The dates of the tax year never change, only the weekday they fall on. This table shows recent and upcoming UK tax year dates so you can see at a glance which year any date belongs to.

Tax years are written with both calendar years, such as 2026/27 or “2026 to 2027”. If you see a single year, like “tax year 2026”, check which one is meant, because it could refer to the year that ended on 5 April 2026 or the one that started the next day.

When Does the Tax Year End for 2026/27?

If you are asking when does the tax year end right now, the current tax year, 2026/27, ends at the end of Monday 5 April 2027. Anything you earn, sell or claim up to and including that day counts towards 2026/27. From Tuesday 6 April 2027, you are in the 2027/28 tax year.

People often search for the end of tax year 2026. That date has already passed: the 2025/26 tax year ended on Sunday 5 April 2026, and GOV.UK confirms the last tax year started on 6 April 2025 and ended on 5 April 2026 (GOV.UK). The return for that 2025/26 year is due online by 31 January 2027.

Does the end date move if 5 April is a weekend?

No. The tax year ends on 5 April even when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, as it did in 2025 and 2026. What can change is how quickly a payment clears. If you want an ISA top-up or pension contribution to count for this year, do not leave it until the final weekend. Banks and providers often need a few working days, and their own cut-off dates may be earlier than 5 April.

When Does the New Tax Year Start?

The new tax year starts on 6 April, the day after the old one ends. The tax year start date for 2026/27 was Monday 6 April 2026, and the next new tax year starts on Tuesday 6 April 2027. That is when new rates and thresholds announced in a Budget usually take effect for Income Tax.

For employees, the start of a new tax year often brings a fresh tax code and a reset Personal Allowance. If your code looks wrong in April, our guide to British tax codes explains how to read it. A new starter without a P45 may briefly pay emergency tax until HMRC sends the right code.

Why Does the Tax Year End on 5 April?

The odd date is a leftover from England’s old calendar. Before 1752, the year began on 25 March, known as Lady Day, one of the traditional quarter days when rents and taxes fell due. In 1752 Britain switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar and dropped 11 days, so the Treasury moved the tax year on by 11 days to keep a full 365 days of tax.

Tax Year vs Financial Year: Which One Applies to You?

The terms are often mixed up, but the United Kingdom financial year is not the same as the personal tax year. For Corporation Tax, the government’s financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. So when people ask when does the new financial year start, the answer is usually 1 April, five days before the new tax year. Ask when does the tax year end for a company and the honest answer is: whenever its accounting period ends.

Who you are	Which year end matters
Employee or pensioner	Tax year ending 5 April (your P60 covers it)
Sole trader or landlord	Tax year ending 5 April, with MTD quarters if in scope
Limited company	Its own accounting period, taxed under the 1 April to 31 March financial years
Investor or saver	Tax year ending 5 April for ISA, CGT and dividend allowances

A limited company pays Corporation Tax on the profits of its accounting period, which can end on any date the directors choose. Our guide to small business Corporation Tax explains how that bill is worked out.

Financial quarters in the UK

Under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, sole traders and landlords send quarterly updates. Standard periods follow the tax year and end on 5 July, 5 October, 5 January and 5 April. If your accounts run from 1 April to 31 March, you can choose calendar quarters instead. Either way, the deadlines are 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May (GOV.UK).

When Does the Tax Year End for Your Allowances? What to Do Before 5 April

Many reliefs run on a strict tax year basis, so 5 April works like a deadline. Knowing when does the tax year end lets you plan these steps in February or March rather than in a last-minute rush. Here is what resets when the tax year ends, with the 2026/27 figures from GOV.UK.

1. Top up your ISA. You can save up to £20,000 in ISAs in 2026/27; unused allowance does not roll over (GOV.UK).
2. Review pension contributions. The annual allowance is £60,000, and you may be able to carry forward unused allowance from the previous 3 tax years (GOV.UK). High earners should check annual allowance tapering.
3. Use your Capital Gains Tax exemption. The first £3,000 of gains is tax-free each year (GOV.UK).
4. Check savings and dividend income against your Personal Savings Allowance and the £500 dividend allowance.
5. Watch your adjusted net income if you are near £100,000, where the Personal Allowance starts to taper. Our adjusted net income guide shows how pension and Gift Aid payments can help.

What Happens After the Tax Year Ends?

Once 5 April passes, the paperwork for the year that just closed begins. These are the dates that follow the end of the 2026/27 tax year:

• 7 May 2027: the final quarterly update for anyone using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
• 31 May 2027: employers must give you a P60 if you were working for them on 5 April (GOV.UK).
• 5 October 2027: tell HMRC if you need to file a return for the first time.
• 31 October 2027: paper Self Assessment returns.
• 31 January 2028: online returns and any tax owed (GOV.UK).

Not sure whether you need to file at all? See who needs to complete a Self Assessment tax return, and our Self Assessment deadline guide for penalties if you miss one. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies from 6 April 2027 if your qualifying income was over £30,000 in 2025/26 (GOV.UK).

Common Mistakes Around the End of the Tax Year

Knowing when does the tax year end is only half the job. These slips cost people money every spring:

• Assuming it ends on 31 March. That is the Corporation Tax year, not your personal tax year.
• Leaving ISA and pension payments to the last day. Payments that clear on 6 April count for the next year.
• Mixing up “tax year 2026”. Always write the year as 2025/26 or 2026/27 to avoid confusion.
• Throwing away your P60. It is your proof of pay and tax for the whole year.
• Forgetting to sell or gift assets in time. A disposal on 6 April uses next year’s £3,000 CGT exemption, not this year’s.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the tax year end in 2027?

The 2026/27 tax year ends on Monday 5 April 2027. The 2027/28 tax year starts on Tuesday 6 April 2027.

What date is the tax year end in the UK?

It is always 5 April. The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year, whatever day of the week those dates fall on.

When does the tax year start?

The tax year starts on 6 April. The current 2026/27 tax year started on Monday 6 April 2026.

Is the tax year the same as the financial year?

No. The personal tax year ends on 5 April. The Corporation Tax financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March, and companies use their own accounting periods.

When does the tax year end for Scotland?

The same day, 5 April. Scotland sets its own Income Tax bands, but the tax year dates are the same across the whole UK.

When does tax year end for a sole trader?

Sole traders use the same tax year, ending on 5 April. Since the 2024/25 tax year, self-employed profits are taxed on a tax year basis, so if your accounts end on another date, your profits are split across the tax years they cover.

What happens to my unused ISA allowance on 5 April?

It is lost. You cannot carry unused ISA allowance into the next tax year, so you need to pay in by 5 April to use it.

Final Verdict: When Does the Tax Year End?

When does the tax year end? On 5 April, every year, across the whole UK. The 2026/27 tax year closes on Monday 5 April 2027 and 2027/28 begins on 6 April. Use your ISA, pension, Capital Gains Tax and dividend allowances before that date, keep your P60 when it arrives, and plan your return well ahead of the 31 January deadline.