How HMRC calculates your self assessment tax bill: income tax at marginal rates, National Insurance for the self-employed, payments on account explained, and how to reduce your July bill.
Complete guide to Capital Gains Tax when selling a rental property in 2026: 24% higher rate, 60-day reporting rule, letting relief changes, and legitimate ways to reduce your CGT.
Earn from tutoring, Etsy, Uber or dog walking? The £1,000 trading allowance may protect you — but above it, Self Assessment is mandatory. Here's every threshold, deadline and worked example.
If you live alone, you're entitled to a 25% reduction on your council tax bill — no income test required. The discount is automatic once claimed but is NOT applied by default. Millions of people who qualify aren't claiming it.
Smart meters are supposed to eliminate reading errors — but they introduce their own set of pitfalls. From misreading a 2-rate economy meter to trusting an IHD that's out of sync with your actual account, here's where things go wrong and how to fix them.
From 1 April 2025, the first-time buyer SDLT relief threshold reverted from £425,000 back to £300,000. This means a first-time buyer purchasing a £450,000 home now pays £7,500 in stamp duty — compared to £1,250 under the old rules. Here's exactly what changed.
The First Homes scheme offers first-time buyers a minimum 30% discount on new-build homes in England. Here's who qualifies, how SDLT works on discounted homes, and a full worked example.
If you defer your State Pension past State Pension Age, you get more per week. But does it actually pay off? Break-even analysis for 2026/27 at current rates.
The full UK State Pension for 2026/27 is £12,548/yr but you need 35 NI qualifying years. Here's how to check your forecast, identify gaps, and decide whether voluntary Class 3 contributions are worth it
Five UK student loan plans with different thresholds, write-off periods and interest rates in 2026/27. Find out which plan you're on, exactly how much you repay, and whether voluntary overpayments ever make sense.
Good news: the first £1,000 of side income is usually tax-free under the Trading Allowance. Above that, you pay income tax at your marginal rate plus Class 4 NI. Here's exactly how it works in 2025/26.
Your second job doesn't get a separate tax-free allowance — you only get one Personal Allowance per year. That means most second-job income is taxed at 20% or 40% from pound one via a BR or D0 emergency code. Here's the full picture.
