What is the Trading Allowance and How Does It Work UK?
The £1,000 trading allowance is a tax-free amount for casual self-employment income. Earnings below it don't need declaring; above triggers Self Assessment.
Tax guides
UK personal tax in plain English — Self Assessment, side hustles, the £100k trap, the April 2026 dividend rate rise, and what changed this tax year.
What is the UK Personal Allowance and How Does It Work?
£12,570 of income is tax-free in 2026/27. Reduced (£1 per £2) when income exceeds £100,000. Used by HMRC via tax codes to determine your tax-free pay.
What Expenses Can I Claim as Self-Employed in the UK?
Allowable self-employed expenses include office costs, travel, equipment, training and a share of home utilities. The full HMRC list for 2026/27.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — what changes from April 2026
MTD ITSA became mandatory on 6 April 2026 for self-employed people and landlords with gross income over £50,000. Quarterly digital submissions plus annual return. Compatible software required.
How to Declare Crypto Gains to HMRC (UK 2026/27)
Crypto gains are subject to UK CGT at 18% or 24%. Each trade is a taxable event. How to calculate, report on Self Assessment, and the £3,000 annual exemption.
How Much Tax on UK Rental Income? (2026/27)
Rental income is taxed at your marginal rate (20%, 40%, 45%) after expenses. Mortgage interest gets a 20% basic-rate tax credit only, not full deduction.
How Much Can I Gift Tax-Free in the UK? (2026/27)
£3,000 annual gift allowance, £250 small gifts, gifts from regular income, wedding gifts, and the 7-year rule for larger gifts. Inheritance tax explained.
How Much Can I Earn Before Tax on a Second Job UK?
Your personal allowance (£12,570) usually applies to your main job. Second job income is taxed from £0 at basic rate. Understanding tax codes for two jobs.
How to File a UK Self Assessment Tax Return (First Time)
Register by 5 October, file online by 31 January, pay by 31 January. The step-by-step process for first-time UK Self Assessment filers.
Do Non-Doms Pay Tax on Foreign Income? (2025 Rules)
From 6 April 2025 the non-dom regime is abolished. The new 4-year FIG regime, who qualifies, and what changed for foreign income and gains.
Do I Pay Tax on Selling on Vinted UK? (2026/27)
Selling your own used items isn't taxable. Selling for profit or buying-to-resell is trading and over £1,000 must be declared. The Vinted reporting rule explained.
Do I Pay Tax on Money Sent From Abroad to the UK?
Transferring your own savings to the UK is not taxable. But foreign income earned while UK resident usually is, under the rules that replaced the non-dom regime in 2025.
Tax on Freelance Income Alongside Full Time Job (UK)
Yes — freelance income is taxed at your marginal rate plus Class 4 NI. Your full-time salary uses the personal allowance; freelance income stacks on top.
Do I Pay Tax on Dividends from Shares UK? (2026/27)
Yes — outside an ISA. First £500 tax-free, then 10.75% basic, 35.75% higher, 39.35% additional rate (basic and higher rose 2pp in April 2026).
Do I Need to Register as Self-Employed for a Side Hustle?
If side hustle income exceeds £1,000/year you must register for Self Assessment with HMRC by 5 October. The process, deadlines and penalties explained.
Do I Pay Tax on My Side Hustle in the UK? (2026/27)
Side hustle income over £1,000/year is taxable. Trading allowance covers small earnings. Above that you register for Self Assessment and pay income tax + Class 4 NI.
Dividend tax rates rose in April 2026 — what it means
Basic dividend rate rose 8.75% → 10.75% and higher rate 33.75% → 35.75% on 6 April 2026. The additional rate held at 39.35%. What changes for shareholders and director-owners.
What changed in UK personal finance this tax year
A short comparison of the headline UK personal finance figures year-on-year — what moved, what's frozen, and what to recheck after the spring budget.
UK tax codes explained — what each letter means and how to check yours
What the letters and numbers on a UK tax code actually mean, the most common codes, the errors that catch people out, and how to check yours via the HMRC personal tax account.
The UK tax-year-end checklist (the things that disappear on 5 April)
A plain-English run through the allowances that reset every 6 April — ISAs, pensions, CGT, dividends, marriage allowance, gifts — and what's worth a second look before the year closes.
The £100k tax trap explained — the UK 60% marginal rate
How the personal allowance taper creates an effective 60% marginal tax rate between £100,000 and £125,140 — and the pension contribution workaround that flattens it.