Loading Guild Resources
Loading Guild Resources
Loading Guild Resources
Landlords and letting agents can now file their 2025 to 2026 Self Assessment tax return. The tax year ended on 5 April 2026, and HMRC says there is no need to wait until January before sending the return.
January is rarely a good time to discover that a bank statement is missing, an agent's annual statement is incomplete, or a repair invoice has been mislaid. Using summer and autumn gives landlords more time to get the figures right.
HMRC's early filing guidance says almost 298,905 people submitted their return in the first week of the tax year. Early filing has advantages where rental income is involved.
One common misunderstanding is that submitting a return early brings the payment date forward. It does not. The deadline for paying tax owed for the 2025 to 2026 tax year remains 31 January 2027.
The benefit of filing early is that you know the figure sooner. That can help landlords plan for the balancing payment and any Payments on Account. If cash flow is tight, it also leaves more time to consider HMRC's Budget Payment Plan.
For landlords with several properties, or with income from both employment and letting, the final liability can be less obvious than expected. Mortgage interest finance cost restrictions, repairs, replacement domestic items, insurance, service charges, agent fees and other property expenses all need to be pulled together properly.
Another myth is that HMRC must contact someone before they need to file. It is the taxpayer's responsibility to check whether a return is required.
This can catch out people who are mainly paid through PAYE but also receive rent, self-employment income, foreign income, partnership income, or who need to deal with the High Income Child Benefit Charge or claim certain reliefs. If in doubt, use HMRC's online checker.
If HMRC has issued a notice to file, a return must normally be submitted unless HMRC agrees that one is not needed. If someone no longer needs to be within Self Assessment, they should tell HMRC rather than assume they will be removed automatically.
Rental accounts often depend on information from several places: letting agents, banks, mortgage lenders, contractors, insurers and managing agents. Waiting until January leaves little time to chase missing documents or query unclear entries.
Early preparation also helps identify genuine mistakes. HMRC generally allows a return to be amended within 12 months of the filing deadline. A processed return can also be useful as proof of income for a mortgage, loan or benefits application.
There is a security benefit too. HMRC warns that last-minute pressure can make people more vulnerable to scams, so filing earlier reduces the chance of rushing into a fake message or payment demand.
The main Self Assessment deadlines are set out on GOV.UK. Landlords who need to complete a return and have not sent one before, or who previously registered but did not need to send one for 2024 to 2025, must tell HMRC by 5 October 2026.
The paper return deadline is 31 October 2026. The online filing deadline is 31 January 2027, and tax owed must also be paid by 31 January 2027. To have tax collected through a PAYE tax code, the online return must be submitted by 30 December 2026.
HMRC says more than 97% of people file online. The HMRC app, digital assistant, YouTube guidance and extra support services are available.