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tax · 9 min read

UK Tax Year 2025/26: Complete Guide to Allowances, Bands & Thresholds

By: CalculatorZone editorsPublished: 6 April 2025Updated: 15 November 2025

The UK tax year runs from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026. Below are the headline allowances, bands and thresholds that matter for most taxpayers, taken directly from HMRC and Scottish Government publications. Scroll to the section you need.

At a glance

Personal Allowance£12,570
Basic-rate threshold£50,270
Higher-rate threshold£125,140
ISA allowance£20,000
Pension annual allowance£60,000
Corporation Tax main rate25%
Dividend Allowance£500
CGT Annual Exempt Amount£3,000

Income Tax (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)

The Personal Allowance stays at £12,570 — unchanged since 2021 as part of the ongoing fiscal-drag freeze. It tapers down by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, meaning it is zero at £125,140.

Income Tax bands — England, Wales & NI — 2025/26
BandRangeRate
Personal Allowance£0 – £12,5700%
Basic rate£12,571 – £50,27020%
Higher rate£50,271 – £125,14040%
Additional rateover £125,14045%
Savings and dividends sit inside the main bands but get their own allowances: the Personal Savings Allowance (£1,000 basic / £500 higher / £0 additional) and the Dividend Allowance of £500 before dividend tax at 8.75% / 33.75% / 39.35%.

Scottish Income Tax bands

Scotland sets its own rates and bands for non-savings non-dividend income. Savings and dividends stay UK-wide.

Scottish Income Tax bands — 2025/26
BandRangeRate
Starter£12,571 – £15,39719%
Basic£15,398 – £27,49120%
Intermediate£27,492 – £43,66221%
Higher£43,663 – £75,00042%
Advanced£75,001 – £125,14045%
Topover £125,14048%

National Insurance

Class 1 employee NIC is charged on weekly earnings above the Primary Threshold. Employers continue to pay secondary NIC at the Secondary Threshold. Class 4 (self-employed) mirrors the main-rate structure.

National Insurance — 2025/26
ClassThresholdMain rateHigher rate
Class 1 (employee)£12,570 / yr8%2% above UEL (£50,270)
Class 1A (benefits)n/a13.8%
Class 2 (self-employed)£12,570 profit£3.45/wk voluntary
Class 4 (self-employed)£12,570 – £50,2706%2% above £50,270

ISA + pension allowances

The overall ISA allowance remains at £20,000per tax year, spread across Cash, Stocks & Shares, Innovative Finance and/or Lifetime ISA. The Junior ISA allowance is £9,000.

Pension annual allowance is £60,000 (or 100% of relevant earnings if lower). It tapers by £1 for every £2 of adjusted income over £260,000, bottoming out at £10,000. The Lifetime Allowance charge was abolished from 6 April 2024 — replaced by the Lump Sum Allowance (£268,275).

Stamp Duty (SDLT) from 1 April 2025

The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed the reversion of the nil-rate band and the reduction of first-time-buyer relief from 1 April 2025. England and NI only — Wales uses Land Transaction Tax, Scotland uses LBTT.

SDLT main residential rates — from 1 Apr 2025
Price bandStandardFTB relief+Additional home
Up to £125,0000%0% (to £300k)5%
£125,001 – £250,0002%0% (to £300k)7%
£250,001 – £925,0005%5% (above £300k)10%
£925,001 – £1.5m10%n/a15%
Over £1.5m12%n/a17%
First-time-buyer relief dropped from £425,000 to £300,000. Combined-with-mortgage purchases up to £500,000 (was £625,000) still qualify.

Capital Gains & Inheritance Tax

The Capital Gains Annual Exempt Amount is £3,000 (down from £6,000 in 2023/24). Main CGT rates:

Capital Gains Tax — 2025/26
Asset classBasic rateHigher / Additional
Most assets18%24%
Residential property18%24%
Carried interest32%32%
Business Asset Disposal Relief14%14% (rising to 18% from 2026/27)

Inheritance Tax nil-rate band stays at £325,000, plus the Residence Nil-Rate Band up to £175,000 when leaving a main home to direct descendants. The 40% rate drops to 36% if 10%+ of the estate is left to charity.

Corporation Tax & Dividend Tax

Corporation Tax main rate is 25% on profits at or above £250,000. The Small Profits Rate is 19% up to £50,000. Profits between £50,000 and £250,000 use Marginal Relief — effective rate scales smoothly from 19% to 25%.

Dividend Allowance is £500 (down from £1,000 in 2023/24). Dividend tax: 8.75% (basic), 33.75% (higher), 39.35% (additional).

Need to calculate any of these for a specific salary or profit? Use the Salary After Tax, Corporation Tax or Stamp Duty calculators — they use these exact figures.