by Asim Abbas
11 November 2026 
Tax year-end checklist: 12 things to do before 5 April 2027
Tax year-end checklist: 12 things to do before 5 April 2027
Many tax allowances are use it or lose it. If you don’t use them by 5 April, they’re gone for good.
- Use your £20,000 ISA allowance
- Use your £3,000 CGT exemption
- Top up pensions within the £60,000 allowance
- Check income against £60,000 and £100,000
A short review in February or March can save hundreds or thousands of pounds, and help you avoid the £100,000 and Child Benefit traps.
This checklist covers the main actions to consider before the end of the 2026/27 tax year.
The checklist
- 1. ISAs: use the £20,000 allowance. The Cash ISA limit for under-65s is due to fall to £12,000 from April 2027
- 2. Pensions: contribute within the £60,000 annual allowance, and use carry forward from the previous three years
- 3. £100,000 threshold: pension contributions or Gift Aid can restore your personal allowance
- 4. Child Benefit charge: reduce adjusted net income below £60,000
- 5. CGT exemption: realise gains up to £3,000, or use Bed and ISA
- 6. Losses: crystallise losses to offset gains
- 7. Dividend allowance: £500, and for directors, review dividends against the basic rate band
- 8. Marriage Allowance: claim, and backdate to 2022/23
- 9. Gifts: use the £3,000 IHT annual exemption
- 10. Junior ISAs: up to £9,000 per child
- 11. Business purchases: sole traders can time equipment purchases within the tax year
- 12. Salary sacrifice and bonuses: sacrifice a bonus into a pension before it’s paid
Pension tax relief calculator
See your year-end saving.
Zainab earns £108,000 including a bonus. Before 5 April 2027 she pays £6,400 into her SIPP, grossed up to £8,000. Her adjusted net income drops to £100,000, restoring £4,000 of personal allowance. She saves £1,600 of extra tax plus £1,600 of allowance tax, £3,200 in total, while her pension grows by £8,000.
Fixed-fee accountancy support
Transparent monthly packages for sole traders, landlords and limited companies. Fixed fees agreed upfront, VAT included.
Get a fixed-fee quoteCall 0161 531 4179Changes from April 2027 to plan for
- Savings and property income rates rise by 2 percentage points
- Unused pensions come into Inheritance Tax
- MTD threshold falls to £30,000
- Mandatory payrolling of benefits
- Cash ISA limit changes for under-65s
For business owners
- Review salary and dividends for 2026/27
- Employer pension contributions before the company year end
- Clear any overdrawn director’s loan account within nine months of the company year end
See our guides to the £100,000 trap, pension relief and CGT on shares, or HMRC’s ISA guidance.
What should I do next?
Include bonuses.
£50,270, £60,000, £100,000.
ISA, CGT, pension.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 2026/27 tax year end?
5 April 2027.
What allowances do I lose if not used?
ISA, CGT exemption, dividend allowance and the IHT annual exemption (one year carry forward).
Can I carry forward pension allowance?
Yes, unused annual allowance from the previous three years.
Can I still claim Marriage Allowance for past years?
Yes, back to 2022/23.
What changes in April 2027?
Higher savings and property income rates, pensions in IHT and the MTD threshold falling to £30,000.
Need help with this? Wingate Accountants offers fixed-fee online accountancy support across the UK. Call 0161 531 4179 or request a quote at wingateaccountants.co.uk.
About the Author
Stephen Reynold
I’m Stephen Reynold, an accountant at Wingate Accountants. I work with sole traders and small companies, turning tax rules into clear, practical next steps.
