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Tax tips, compliance updates, and practical finance advice for freelancers and small businesses in Ireland and the UK.
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UK Deposit Return Scheme VAT: Scheme Administrators Take Unrefunded Deposits from Autumn 2027
Finance Bill 2026-27 draft VAT rules move unrefunded drinks deposit VAT to scheme administrators — producers and retailers stop accounting for deposit VAT when England, Scotland, and Wales DRS schemes launch in Autumn 2027.
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UK Crypto Loans and Liquidity Pools: No Gain, No Loss CGT Rules from 6 April 2027
Finance Bill 2026-27 draft legislation treats qualifying cryptoasset lending, borrowing, and automated market-maker liquidity pool transfers as no gain, no loss for Capital Gains Tax from 6 April 2027 — deferring tax until an economic disposal.
Ireland RCT: Ten Days to the 23 August July Deduction Summary
Revenue’s August 2026 calendar puts the Relevant Contracts Tax monthly return and payment for July on 23 August — a ten-day checklist for principal contractors to verify ROS deduction summaries before the deemed-return date.
HMRC Customer Correction Notices: What Draft Rules Mean Before 7 September
Finance Bill 2026-27 draft clauses would create an explicit duty to correct tax return errors once you know about them and give HMRC a Customer Correction Notice power — technical consultation closes 7 September 2026.
Ireland VAT 3: One Week to the 19 August July Return
Revenue’s August 2026 calendar puts July monthly VAT 3 — and annual VAT 3 where the accounting period ends in July — on 19 August, with ROS filers who file and pay online using the extension to 23 August.
UK CT Late Filing Penalties: Doubled Rates Now on GOV.UK Guides
HMRC’s Company Tax Return late-filing guide now shows £200 from day one and £400 after three months for returns with filing dates on or after 1 April 2026 — a mid-August reminder for companies still clearing CT600s after the summer notice pause.
Final Week: HMRC Tax Adviser Registration Closes 18 August 2026
Seven days remain until 18 August 2026 closes HMRC’s first Modernising and Mandating Tax Adviser Registration window — a last-mile checklist for tranche-one firms still assembling AML evidence and Agent Services Account applications.
HMRC Agent MFA: Prepare Now for the Autumn Automatic Window
Agents who skipped the July and August early MFA dates face automatic multi-factor authentication between 28 September and 15 October 2026 — HMRC cannot give a specific day, so prepare authenticators and administrators before September begins.
Ireland 14 August: PAYE, DWT and PSWT Three-Day Countdown
Revenue’s August 2026 calendar puts PAYE/PRSI/USC/LPT for July, Dividend Withholding Tax, and Professional Services Withholding Tax F30 returns on 14 August — three days for Irish employers and withholding agents to lock ROS packs before mid-month.
Solicitors and SDLT: Why Conveyancers Must Register as Tax Advisers by 18 August
HMRC and the Law Society confirm that filing or paying Stamp Duty Land Tax for clients is enough to bring residential conveyancers into mandatory tax adviser registration — tranche-one firms without an Agent Services Account need to apply by 18 August 2026.
Agents’ Critical Fortnight: MMTAR 18 Aug, MFA 19 Aug, Data Consultation 20 Aug
Between 18 and 20 August 2026, UK tax agents face three HMRC milestones in 48 hours — the first MMTAR registration window, optional MFA activation for opted-in firms, and the third-party interest and card-sales consultation close. Here is how to sequence the work.
Ireland CT1 Countdown: 23 September 2026 for December Year-Ends
Irish companies with a 31 December 2025 accounting period must file Form CT1 and pay any balance of corporation tax through ROS by 23 September 2026 — six weeks to finalise iXBRL accounts, Form 46G, and relief claims before surcharges apply.
MMTAR Tranche Two Opens 18 August: SA and CT Agents Without an ASA
From 18 August 2026, tax advisers who already hold a Self Assessment or Corporation Tax agent account but still lack an Agent Services Account enter HMRC’s second MMTAR registration window — with three months to apply.
HMRC Third-Party Data Consultation Closes 20 August 2026
HMRC’s technical consultation on draft legislation for better interest and card-sales data closes at 11:59pm on 20 August 2026 — eleven days for banks, merchant acquirers, and industry bodies to respond before April 2028 rules lock in.
Ireland Restaurant VAT at 9%: Reconcile July Before VAT 3
From 1 July 2026 Ireland’s 9% second reduced VAT rate applies to restaurant and catering services — use Revenue’s guidance to lock July multi-rate sales before the 19 August VAT 3 date.
MTD Landlords Still Unregistered: Catch Up After 7 August
Industry reporting after the 7 August 2026 Making Tax Digital first update deadline flagged hundreds of thousands of landlords and sole traders still outside the system — HMRC’s soft landing pauses late-update points, but digital records and quarterly sends still matter before 7 November.
HMRC Agent MFA: Prepare for 19 August Switch-On
Agents who opted in by 31 July 2026 have multi-factor authentication activating on 19 August — everyone else faces the 28 September to 15 October mandatory window. Use HMRC’s Tax Agent Handbook checklist before either date.
Ireland Mid-August ROS: PAYE 14th and VAT 19th Checklist
Revenue’s August 2026 key dates put PAYE/PRSI/USC/LPT for July on the 14th (ROS payment to the 23rd) and July VAT 3 on the 19th — a short mid-month checklist for Irish employers and VAT-registered SMEs.
Missed the 7 August MTD Deadline? What HMRC Says to Do Next
If you missed the 7 August 2026 Making Tax Digital for Income Tax first quarterly update, HMRC will not apply late-update penalty points in 2026/27 — but you still need to send every quarterly update before the tax return, with the next deadline on 7 November.
Ireland July 2026 Fiscal Monitor: €59.6bn Tax and Strong VAT Drive
Department of Finance Fiscal Monitor July 2026 (published 6 August) shows €59.6bn tax to end-July, €21.9bn income tax, €16.3bn VAT, and €15bn corporation tax — with July VAT up 17.5% and an Exchequer deficit of €0.6bn after wealth-fund transfers.
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