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Guides

In-depth references on UK tax, mortgages, pensions, ISAs and more. Check each guide's date and cited sources before relying on time-sensitive figures.

All guides

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.

Tax9 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026

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.

Property & Mortgages8 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026

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.

Property & Mortgages7 min readUpdated 21 May 2026

UK Stamp Duty (SDLT) Explained: Rates from 1 April 2025, 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.

Property & Mortgages7 min readUpdated 15 Aug 2026

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.

Reference6 min readUpdated 21 May 2026

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.

Tax10 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026

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.

Salary & Work7 min readUpdated 21 May 2026

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.

Salary & Work6 min readUpdated 21 May 2026

UK Pension Allowances 2026/27: 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.

Investing & Savings7 min readUpdated 22 Nov 2025

UK ISA Guide 2026/27: 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.

Investing & Savings6 min readUpdated 15 Aug 2026

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.

Reference12 min readUpdated 18 Feb 2026

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.

Property & Mortgages9 min readUpdated 5 Oct 2025

Scotland Income Tax 2026/27: Six-Band Guide + Rates vs England

Scottish Income Tax for 2026/27 — 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.

Tax6 min readUpdated 16 Aug 2026

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 2027.

Tax7 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026

UK Dividend Tax 2026/27: Rates, £500 Allowance & Director Strategy

UK dividend tax guide — 10.75%/35.75%/39.35% rates for 2026/27, the £500 allowance, and how directors should mix salary and dividends after CT changes.

Tax7 min readUpdated 11 Aug 2026

UK Capital Gains Tax: Complete Guide to Shares, Property and Crypto

Comprehensive UK CGT guide for 2026/27 — the £3,000 allowance, post-Oct-2024 rates, 60-day property rule, share matching rules, crypto disposals and loss relief.

Tax10 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026

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.

Salary & Work8 min readUpdated 5 Sept 2025

UK Inheritance Tax 2026/27: 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.

Tax11 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026

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.

Tax9 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026

HICBC Explained: Child Benefit, the £60,000 Threshold and the Hidden Marginal Rate

How the High Income Child Benefit Charge works — the £60k–£80k taper band, adjusted net income, why the effective marginal rate in that band can be about 49% to 58%, and planning tactics.

Tax8 min readUpdated 1 Oct 2026