Tax Year Ends April 5th — 7 Things to Sort Before It's Too Late

Every year, the UK tax year ends on April 5th and resets on April 6th. And every year, millions of people miss out on allowances and reliefs they're entitled to — simply because they didn't get around to it in time.

These aren't loopholes. They're not complicated. They're literally things the government wants you to use. You just need to do them before the deadline.

1. Use your ISA allowance (£20,000)

You can put up to £20,000 into ISAs each tax year — and any interest, dividends, or growth inside an ISA is completely tax-free. If you don't use this allowance by April 5th, it's gone. You can't carry it over.

Even if you can only put in £500, it's still £500 growing tax-free. Cash ISAs, Stocks & Shares ISAs, Lifetime ISAs — they all count towards the same £20,000 pot.

2. Top up your Lifetime ISA

If you're between 18 and 39 and saving for your first home (or retirement), the Lifetime ISA gives you a 25% government bonus on whatever you put in — up to £4,000 per year. That's up to £1,000 of free money.

If you haven't maxed it out this tax year, now's the time. The bonus gets paid the following month after your deposit, so get it in before April 5th.

3. Check your pension contributions

You can contribute up to £60,000 per year into your pension (or 100% of your earnings, whichever is lower) and get tax relief on it. If you're a higher-rate taxpayer, you can claim back even more through your self-assessment.

Plus, if you haven't used your full allowance in the previous three tax years, you can carry it forward. That could mean a significant tax-efficient top-up before the deadline.

4. Use your Capital Gains Tax allowance

Everyone gets a £3,000 annual Capital Gains Tax allowance (it used to be £12,300 — yes, really). If you've sold any investments, property, or assets at a profit, the first £3,000 is tax-free.

If you're sitting on investments with gains, you might consider selling and rebuying (known as "bed and ISA") to reset your cost basis inside a tax-free wrapper. Worth chatting to a financial adviser about if the numbers are significant.

5. Claim Marriage Allowance

If you're married or in a civil partnership and one of you earns under the Personal Allowance (£12,570), you can transfer £1,260 of unused allowance to the higher earner. That saves the higher earner up to £252 a year in tax.

The best bit? You can backdate it up to four years. So if you've never claimed, you could be owed over £1,000. Check on the GOV.UK Marriage Allowance page.

6. Make Gift Aid donations count

If you've donated to charity this tax year, make sure you've ticked the Gift Aid box. The charity gets an extra 25p for every £1 you donate, and if you're a higher-rate taxpayer, you can claim back the difference through your tax return.

You can also carry back donations — meaning a donation made between April 6th and January 31st can be treated as if it was made in the previous tax year. Useful if you've already filed.

7. Review your savings interest

The Personal Savings Allowance lets basic-rate taxpayers earn up to £1,000 in savings interest tax-free (£500 for higher-rate). With savings rates higher than they've been in years, more people are hitting this limit than expected.

If you're getting close, consider moving some savings into an ISA where interest is completely tax-free. It's a simple move that could save you a tax bill you weren't expecting.

Don't leave money on the table

None of this is complicated. Most of it takes less than 30 minutes. But every year, people miss these deadlines and leave hundreds — sometimes thousands — on the table. Set a reminder, block out an evening, and get it done before April 5th.