When juggling the challenges that come with running your business, forgetting important dates is something that’s all too easy to do. But there are some dates and deadlines that small business owners can’t afford to miss.
Starting the year with a clear plan for your finances and business admin can ease the stress later on. So, we’ve highlighted the most important dates for small business owners in 2025. From tax deadlines to new laws and legislation, read on to make sure you’re up to date.
January 2025 – key business dates
Self Assessment deadline – 31 January
Balance of any tax for year 2023-24 due – 31 January
If you still have tax to pay after your two payments on account for the 2023-24 tax year then you’ll also need to make a ‘balancing payment’ to settle your bill.
First payment on account – 31 January
Self Assessment taxpayers need to pay the first instalment of their payment on account for the 2025-26 tax year.
Capital gains tax due – 31 January
If you’ve sold or disposed of a business asset then you’ll need to pay capital gains tax. This can be reported on your Self Assessment tax return or paid at the time you made the gain.
Business budgeting – January
While this isn’t something you have to do at the start of the year, January is a good time to look ahead and start planning your business finances. A budget template can help you do this. And don’t forget to review your forecasting at the start of the new financial year (6 April) and at other key points in the year.
February
Changes to alcohol duty rates – 1 February
From 1 February 2025, the Alcohol Duty rate for all draught products will be cut by 1.7 per cent.
National Apprenticeship Week – 10 to 16 February
Celebrate your existing apprentices or consider how taking on an apprentice could help you with your business goals.
March
Spring Budget – 25 March
Following their first Budget in October, the government will deliver a Spring Budget in March. This will contain an update on the UK’s progress since the autumn announcement, as well as more information on tax and spending changes.
An independent economic and fiscal outlook will be published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on the same day.
International Women’s Day – 8 March
Fewer than one in three businesses in the UK are run by women, but what’s holding them back? International Women’s Day is a global campaign to celebrate the achievements of women and drive gender parity.
Key dates planner – free download
See all the important dates you need to know for 2025 in one handy download.
April
Stress Awareness Month – April
Running a business can mean you feel extra pressure. If you’re feeling stressed or at risk of burnout, our mental health resources created in partnership with Mental Health at Work (a programme curated by the charity Mind) could be a good place to look for support.
National minimum wage increases – 1 April
It’s a legal requirement for businesses with employees to pay at least the national minimum wage.
From 1 April, the national living wage will increase 6.7 per cent to £12.21 an hour. Plus, as part of a plan to eventually create a single adult rate, 18 to 20 year olds will see an even bigger rise of 16.3 per cent. This means younger people will be paid at least £10 an hour going forward.
End of tax year – 5th April
If you’re an employer, you need to plan ahead of this date to process any leavers, and send your final payroll report of the tax year from 20 April.
Start of the new tax year – 6 April
The new tax year starts on 6 April. This is also the earliest you can file your Self Assessment tax return for 2025-26.
National Insurance reforms – 6 April
The government is increasing employer National Insurance contributions by 1.2 per cent to 15 per cent from April 2025. The threshold at which employers start paying National Insurance on each employee’s salary is also being reduced from £9,100 to £5,000.
Some small businesses will be protected from this hike. The employment allowance will also be raised from £5,000 to £10,500.
Business rates changes – 6 April
Business rates are a tax on property used for business purposes. Labour is bringing in a 40 per cent relief on business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure, up to a cap of £110,000 per business. The small business tax multiplier will also be frozen at 49.9p.
Capital gains tax allowance reduced – 6 April
You pay capital gains tax on the profits you make from selling your business assets, like land or machinery. From April, the lower rate of capital gains tax will rise from 10 per cent to 18 per cent, and the higher rate from 20 per cent to 24 per cent.
May
P60 deadline – 31 May
The deadline for issuing your employees with a P60 form is 31 May. This is the same time each year – the end of the month after a new tax year begins.
July
P11D forms due – 6 July
If you have employees and offer benefits like company cars or season ticket loans then you’ll need to report this to HMRC. You do this by filling in a P11D form every year.
Second payment on account deadline – 31 July
The second payment on account deadline is 31 July. The payments are based on your previous year’s tax bill and work as advance payments towards your next tax bill.
September
Pension Awareness Day – 15 September
This is a good prompt for business owners to start thinking about their self-employed pension (if you haven’t already got one) and starting to plan for retirement.
And if you have employees, make sure you’re up to speed on workplace pensions.
October
Register for Self Assessment – 5 October
If you’re newly self-employed then you’ll need to register for Self Assessment with HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year you became self-employed. Read our guide to registering as self-employed to learn more.
If you’ve recently started a new partnership or a new partner has joined your organisation, 5 October is also the deadline for notifying HMRC.
Cyber Security Awareness Month – October
Use this date as a reminder to check your business is following best practice when it comes to cyber security.
Autumn Budget – date TBC
The government is likely to deliver an Autumn Budget in October as well as another fiscal outlook by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). It usually takes place in October or the start of November.
November
Talk Money Week – November
The government’s Money & Pensions Service uses Talk Money Week in November to encourage conversations about money, pensions, and financial wellbeing.
Black Friday – 28 November
Black Friday is a global sales event retailers can take part in by offering discounts to consumers online or in their shops. It often kick-starts the beginning of the Christmas shopping period, but how do small businesses feel about Black Friday?
December
Cyber Monday – 1 December
Following on from Black Friday, Cyber Monday is a date where online retailers might choose to offer large discounts and sales promotions.
More useful articles for small business owners
- 2025 predictions for small business owners
- How to do a self-assessment tax return
- Time to pay – how to set up an HMRC payment plan
- What is business insurance?
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