Important dates for UK business owners in April 2025
As a UK business owner, staying on top of key dates is essential to ensure your operations remain compliant and efficient throughout the financial year. April 2025 marks the beginning of a new tax year and brings a series of important HMRC and Companies House deadlines that every business should be aware of.
Meeting your legal and accounting obligations on time isn’t just good practice it protects your business from penalties, interest charges, and reputational risk. From tax filings and PAYE submissions to compliance reporting, April is a month that requires careful organisation.
But it’s not all about paperwork. April also offers valuable opportunities for growth and visibility through industry trade shows, professional events, and seasonal marketing dates. In this guide, we’ll outline the essential legal and financial deadlines, as well as key business events happening across the UK – helping you stay compliant while keeping your business ahead of the curve.
For professional support with your company filings, tax compliance, or setup, Formations Wise provides expert assistance to keep your business legally sound and running smoothly.
1st April 2025: National Minimum Wage Increases
From 1st April 2025, new National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates take effect across the UK. As an employer, you are legally required to pay at least the applicable rate based on each employee’s age or apprenticeship status. Failing to do so can result in HMRC enforcement action, arrears payments, and financial penalties.
The Government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations for 2025, introducing one of the most significant increases in recent years to reflect cost-of-living pressures and labour market conditions.
| Category | New Hourly Rate | Increase (£) | Increase (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (age 21 and over) | £12.21 | +£0.77 | +6.7% |
| 18–20 year olds | £10.00 | +£1.40 | +16.3% |
| 16–17 year olds | £7.55 | +£1.15 | +18.0% |
| Apprentice rate | £7.55 | +£1.15 | +18.0% |
| Accommodation offset | £10.66 | +£0.67 | +6.7% |
It’s essential to review your employee contracts, payroll systems, and staff communications ahead of April to ensure full compliance. You should also check whether any additional benefits, bonuses, or deductions affect the effective hourly rate paid to workers.
For small business owners, these increases may impact cash flow and budget planning – particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as retail, hospitality, and care. If you need guidance on adjusting payroll or reviewing your employment obligations, our team at Formations Wise can help ensure your company remains fully compliant with UK employment law.
5th April 2025: End of the 2024–25 Tax Year
5th April 2025 marks the official end of the 2024–25 tax year in the UK. For individuals and businesses that file through Self Assessment or prepare annual accounts aligned with the tax year, this date closes your accounting period and determines the financial data you’ll report to HMRC.
It’s good practice to begin preparing your Self Assessment tax return as soon as the tax year ends. Early filing allows you to:
- Budget and spread out payments more effectively, including via HMRC’s payment plan options.
- Avoid late filing penalties and interest charges.
- Identify deductible expenses and ensure your records are complete while the year’s transactions are still recent.
This date also serves as the deadline for registering for HMRC’s Payrolling Benefits and Expenses Online Service. Employers who choose to payroll benefits (such as company cars, health insurance, or gym memberships) can report them in real-time through payroll rather than using the traditional P11D form.
Registering for payrolling simplifies reporting and helps reduce year-end administrative work — but registration must be completed before the start of the new tax year on 6 April. You can find more details on HMRC’s official payrolling guidance.
6th April 2025: Start of the 2025–26 Tax Year
6th April 2025 marks the beginning of the 2025–26 UK tax year, which runs until 5 April 2026. This date resets key tax thresholds, allowances, and statutory payment rates for employers and individuals alike.
If you need to file a Self Assessment tax return for the 2024–25 tax year, you can now begin submitting it online or by post from this date. Filing early helps you budget, spread out payments, and avoid last-minute pressure near the January deadline.
Changes to Employer National Insurance and the Employment Allowance
As confirmed in the Autumn Budget 2024, several key National Insurance (NI) changes take effect from 6 April 2025. These affect all UK employers:
- Employer (secondary) Class 1 NI rate: increasing from 13.8% to 15%.
- Secondary Threshold: reduced from £9,100 to £5,000 per year – meaning employers start paying NICs on lower employee earnings. This measure applies until 5 April 2028.
- Employment Allowance: rises from £5,000 to £10,500 per year, and the £100,000 eligibility threshold is removed – extending access to more small businesses and reducing overall NIC liabilities.
Employers should review their payroll software and budgets before April to accommodate these adjustments and ensure compliance with HMRC’s NIC rules.
Statutory Pay Increases
New rates of statutory pay also take effect from 6 April 2025, reflecting inflationary adjustments across family and sickness benefits:
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): increases from £116.75 to £118.75 per week.
- Statutory Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared Parental, and Parental Bereavement Pay: rise from £184.03 to £187.18 per week.
- Maternity Allowance: also increases to £187.18 per week.
The earnings threshold to qualify for SSP and family payments rises from £123 to £125 per week. The threshold for Maternity Allowance remains unchanged at £30 per week.
Employers must ensure that payroll systems and HR policies are updated to reflect these statutory changes. You can check official rates on the GOV.UK statutory pay guidance.
Changes to Scottish Income Tax
While there are no changes to UK-wide Income Tax rates or the Personal Allowance for 2025–26, the Scottish Budget 2024 introduced modest inflationary adjustments to the Scottish Income Tax bands. These apply only to taxpayers resident in Scotland.
| Tax Band | 2024–25 Taxable Income | 2025–26 Taxable Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter rate | £12,571 – £14,876 | £12,571 – £15,397 | 19% |
| Basic rate | £14,877 – £26,561 | £15,398 – £27,491 | 20% |
| Intermediate rate | £26,562 – £43,662 | £27,492 – £43,662 | 21% |
| Higher rate | £43,663 – £75,000 | £43,663 – £75,000 | 42% |
| Advanced rate | £75,001 – £125,140 | £75,001 – £125,140 | 45% |
| Top rate | Above £125,140 | Above £125,140 | 48% |
Scottish taxpayers should confirm their residency status via HMRC and ensure payroll systems use the correct “S” tax code. More details are available on the Scottish Income Tax page on GOV.UK.
Capital Gains Tax: Business Asset Disposal and Investors’ Relief
From 6 April 2025, the rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) applying to Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs’ Relief) and Investors’ Relief will increase from 10% to 14% on qualifying disposals of business assets and company shares.
This rate will rise again to 18% for disposals made on or after 6 April 2026. Business owners planning to sell shares or assets should seek professional tax advice to determine whether early disposal or restructuring could help mitigate additional tax exposure.
Summary: Payroll and Compliance Readiness
The start of the new tax year is the ideal time to:
- Check that all payroll software and tax codes are updated.
- Review your employment contracts to ensure they reflect new statutory pay and benefit levels.
- Reassess budgets for employer NI contributions and cash flow impact.
- Communicate changes clearly to staff to maintain transparency and compliance.
At Formations Wise, we help UK employers and company directors stay compliant with changing tax, payroll, and reporting rules giving you peace of mind and freeing up time to focus on growth.
