Guides
In-depth references on UK tax, mortgages, pensions, ISAs and more. Each guide is written and reviewed by our editors, with sources cited from HMRC and authoritative UK bodies.
tax
UK Tax Year 2025/26: Complete Guide to Allowances, Bands & Thresholds
Full reference for the 2025/26 UK tax year — income tax bands, Personal Allowance, National Insurance, ISA allowance, pension limits, stamp duty changes.
9 min read · Updated 15 Nov 2025
property
First-Time Buyer Mortgage Guide: Schemes, LTVs, Stamp Duty Relief
Everything a UK first-time buyer needs to know about mortgages — typical LTVs, Help-to-Buy, Lifetime ISA, stamp duty relief thresholds, and realistic budgets.
8 min read · Updated 20 Oct 2025
property
UK Mortgage Overpayments Guide: When to Clear Faster and When to Save Cash
How mortgage overpayments work, when they save the most interest, when early repayment charges matter, and when your cash should stay liquid instead.
7 min read · Updated 21 May 2026
property
UK Stamp Duty (SDLT) Explained: 2025/26 Rates, First-Time Buyer Relief, Second-Home Surcharge
Clear walkthrough of UK Stamp Duty Land Tax — current bands, first-home relief up to £500,000 (0% to £300,000), +5% additional-property surcharge, and worked examples.
7 min read · Updated 1 Apr 2025
reference
UK Emergency Fund Guide: How Much to Save, Where to Keep It, and What Comes Next
A practical emergency-fund guide covering target sizes, where to keep the money, how to build the buffer, and what to do once it is full.
6 min read · Updated 21 May 2026
tax
UK Self-Employed Tax Guide: Self Assessment, Payments on Account, Allowable Expenses
How self-employed tax works in the UK — registering with HMRC, the Self Assessment deadline, payments on account, what you can claim, and Class 2/4 NI.
10 min read · Updated 10 Sept 2025
salary
Pay Rise Calculator Guide: What a Gross Raise Becomes After Tax, NI and Pension
Turn a gross salary increase into a real take-home figure by checking tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and inflation together.
7 min read · Updated 21 May 2026
salary
UK Tax Code Guide: 1257L, K Codes, Emergency Codes and What to Do
How to read a UK tax code, what common letters mean, why emergency codes happen, and how to check your payslip against the right net pay.
6 min read · Updated 21 May 2026
investments
UK Pension Allowances 2025/26: Annual Allowance, Taper, Carry-Forward
UK pension contribution limits — £60k annual allowance, tapering for high earners, carry-forward rules, and what changed when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished.
7 min read · Updated 22 Nov 2025
investments
UK ISA Guide 2025/26: Types, £20,000 Allowance, Transfers, LISA
UK Individual Savings Account guide — Cash, Stocks & Shares, Lifetime and Innovative Finance ISAs, the £20,000 allowance, transfer rules and the 25% LISA bonus.
6 min read · Updated 20 Apr 2025
reference
Financial & Tax Glossary: 50+ Terms Explained
Plain-English definitions for common UK financial and tax terms — APR, AER, LTV, SDLT, PAYE, NIC, ISA, SIPP, CGT, IHT and more.
12 min read · Updated 18 Feb 2026
property
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Guide: ICR, Rates, Section 24 & Limited Company
UK buy-to-let landlord guide — BTL mortgage rates and LTVs, Interest Coverage Ratio, Section 24 impact, limited-company vs personal ownership, and real net yields.
9 min read · Updated 5 Oct 2025
tax
Scotland Income Tax 2025/26: Six-Band Guide + Rates vs England
Scottish Income Tax for 2025/26 — all six bands from 19% starter to 48% top rate, who qualifies as a Scottish taxpayer, and how the gap vs England grows with income.
6 min read · Updated 5 Dec 2025
tax
UK Tax Year 2026/27: Confirmed Rates, Upcoming Changes, Planning Checklist
What’s confirmed for the 2026/27 UK tax year, what’s changing (MTD for Self Assessment, IHT on pensions), and the allowances to lock in before 5 April 2026.
7 min read · Updated 10 Mar 2026
tax
UK Dividend Tax 2025/26: Rates, £500 Allowance & Director Strategy
UK dividend tax guide — 8.75%/33.75%/39.35% rates, the shrunken £500 allowance, and how directors should mix salary and dividends after CT changes.
7 min read · Updated 25 Nov 2025
tax
UK Capital Gains Tax: Complete Guide to Shares, Property and Crypto
Comprehensive UK CGT guide for 2025/26 — the £3,000 allowance, post-Oct-2024 rates, 60-day property rule, share matching rules, crypto disposals and loss relief.
10 min read · Updated 15 Nov 2025
salary
UK Salary Sacrifice Guide: Pension, EV & Cycle-to-Work Savings
How UK salary sacrifice works — NI and tax savings on pension contributions, EV lease schemes, cycle-to-work, and the pitfalls around mortgage applications and statutory pay.
8 min read · Updated 5 Sept 2025
tax
UK Inheritance Tax 2025/26: NRB, RNRB, Gifting & 2027 Pension Changes
Complete UK IHT guide — the £325k NRB and £175k RNRB, £2m taper, 7-year gifting rule, new 2027 pension inclusion, and Business/Agricultural Relief caps.
11 min read · Updated 2 Dec 2025
tax
UK Corporation Tax: 19%, 25% and the 26.5% Marginal Band Explained
How the post-April-2023 UK Corporation Tax structure works — Small Profits Rate, main rate, marginal relief, associated-company rules, filing deadlines and deductible costs.
9 min read · Updated 18 Oct 2025
tax
HICBC Explained: Child Benefit, £60,000 Threshold & the Hidden 60% Rate
How the High Income Child Benefit Charge works — the £60k–£80k taper band, adjusted net income, why the effective marginal rate often exceeds 60%, and planning tactics.
8 min read · Updated 22 Sept 2025