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The Autumn Budget is now just weeks away, and this year's Budget could be a particularly significant one. On Wednesday 28th October 2026, Chancellor John Healey will deliver the Government's Autumn Budget, setting out its plans for the economy, taxation and public spending. Budgets always attract considerable attention, but this one comes with an added level of interest.

For many years it has been every Chancellor of the Exchequer’s aim to reduce the tax gap to provide greater funds for carrying out their political, social and economic objectives. The tax gap, simply put, is the difference between the tax due and payable by the nation’s taxpayers and the amount collected by HMRC on behalf of the Exchequer each year. For the 2024/5 tax year this was reported as more than £59 billion or 6.4% of the total tax due.

If you’re a sole trader or landlord who should already be using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD ITSA) but haven’t signed up, now is the time to take action. HMRC is stepping up its efforts to bring taxpayers who have missed the move to MTD ITSA into the new system. So, if you’ve been putting it off, assumed it didn’t apply to you, or simply haven’t got around to sorting it out, ignoring MTD is no longer an option.

For many UK recruitment agencies, expanding into Ireland feels like a natural next step. The markets are geographically close, many clients operate across both regions, and contractor demand continues to grow in key sectors. However, agencies often underestimate how different employment, payroll and compliance requirements can be between the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

Under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for ITSA), for sole traders and landlords the traditional Self Assessment tax return is gradually being replaced with a new digital end-of-year process. Although quarterly updates are submitted throughout the year, taxpayers will still need to complete a final year-end submission to confirm their overall tax position. What is the end-of-year submission? This is effectively the final confirmation of income, expenses and tax calculations for the year.

Quarterly submissions are one of the biggest changes introduced by Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for ITSA). Instead of waiting until after the tax year to report income and expenses, sole trade businesses and landlords will now send updates to HMRC every quarter. For many taxpayers, this represents a major shift in how they manage bookkeeping and tax reporting. What are quarterly submissions? These are summary updates sent to HMRC using MTD-compatible software.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for ITSA) introduces a new penalty system for late submissions and late payments in respect of income tax. HMRC is moving away from the traditional fixed Self Assessment penalty structure towards a points-based approach. Understanding the new rules is essential for businesses and landlords preparing for MTD. What has changed?

It has only taken 15 years and a Middle East crisis for the Government to recognise the reality of today’s costs of running a car or van for business purposes. On the 21st May, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) rate is to be increased from 45p per mile to 55p per mile and that this rate would be backdated to the start of this tax year on 6 April 2026. The increase will, however, only apply to the first 10,000 business miles covered in a tax year.

Recent legislative changes and further clarity on IR35 rules in the Courts have highlighted that working ‘outside IR35’ may not now be just for the few. A closer look at how things have changed and the current state of the temporary labour market may provide opportunities for contractors, agencies and clients alike. The background Tax changes introduced by the Off-Payroll Working (OPW) rules introduced in 2017 and 2021 saw a massive move away from limited company contractor engagements.

From April 2026, HMRC is increasing late filing penalties for Corporation Tax returns (CT600). For limited companies, this represents the first major change to the corporation tax penalty regime in almost three decades, and it will have a noticeable impact on businesses that miss deadlines. Why are CT600 penalties increasing? The key driver behind the changes is inflation. The current penalty levels were introduced in the late 1990s and have not been updated since.