Weekly News & Updates for UK Accountants (12-16 October 2026)

The Autumn Budget arrives on 28 October, which leaves higher rate clients a narrow window for pension, ISA and CGT planning. That is the story to act on first. Close behind it, 39% of listed MTD software cannot yet file year-end reports, with the second quarterly deadline falling on 7 November.

The other two are about planning rather than panic. HMRC has updated its guidance on verifying doorstep visits, and a new lease accounting help sheet has landed for charity accounts.

Here is the detail.

Higher Rate Clients Have Up to £8,500 to Gain Before the 28 October Budget

AJ Bell's analysis sets out six moves that could leave a higher rate taxpayer up to £8,500 better off over a year, using rules that exist today. Acting before 28 October means clients use them before any legislative change can alter them.

Start with clients holding a bonus or windfall. A £10,000 net payment into a pension is grossed up to £12,500, giving a higher rate taxpayer £5,000 of total relief, with the higher rate portion claimed through Self Assessment. Where there is no lump sum, an extra £100 a month paid in is worth £600 a year, provided the annual allowance has room.

Savers and investors face a different clock. The Cash ISA allowance is £20,000 this year but falls to £12,000 for under-65s from 6 April 2027, and savings income picks up an extra 2% of tax from the same date. Investors can use a Bed & ISA to realise gains within the CGT allowance and buy back inside an ISA. Buying back outside a wrapper within 30 days is treated as if the sale never happened.

Review higher rate clients for pension and ISA headroom now. Check any parent near £100,000 of adjusted net income as well, because Tax-Free Childcare is lost entirely above that level.

39% of MTD Software Cannot Yet File Year-End Reports

Every product on HMRC's software finder can handle quarterly updates. Year end is where it breaks down. A LetCompliance audit found 65 of 165 listed products (39%) cannot yet file end-of-year reports: 46 are still in development and 19 have no plans to offer the function.

Landlord clients are the most exposed. Of 128 products covering UK property income, 84 are ready now, 32 are in development and 12 will not offer year-end reporting. HMRC treats "in development" as a vendor committed to delivering in time, with engineering and testing still unfinished.

HMRC has also begun automatically enrolling taxpayers with self-employment or property income over £50,000 who missed the August registration deadline, ahead of their second quarterly deadline on 7 November. It has paused new software accreditation requests while it reviews its approval criteria.

Check what year-end capability each client's software actually has, not just whether it handles quarterly updates. The waiver is a grace period, not a reprieve, because the reporting obligations remain binding. Landlord clients on weaker products should move well before the return is due.

Verify HMRC Doorstep Visitors Using Your Own Mobile

HMRC has updated its guidance on verifying in-person visits, and the key instruction is to always use your own mobile phone for the verification call. Scammers can exploit call-hold on landlines to intercept an outgoing call and route it to a fraudulent call centre.

A genuine debt collector will carry a formal ID card. For HMRC officers, clients should follow the officer verification steps published on GOV.UK.

Add this to your next client circular, especially for clients who work from home or business premises. If a collector arrives outside the usual hours, the sensible response is to ask them to rearrange within the standard weekday window.

Charity SORP 2026 Lease Accounting Helpsheet Published

The Charity Commission and the Charities SORP Committee have published a lease accounting helpsheet, written by Sara White, following the amendments to FRS 102. It applies to accruals accounts under Charity SORP 2026.

The Committee's joint chairs, Amie Woods and Laura Anderson, expect the new approach to be challenging for some charities. They want trustees, finance directors and auditors to engage early and seek external technical support where needed.

For charity clients, start with a gap analysis of the lease portfolio. Where arrangements are non-commercial, such as peppercorn leases, build in extra time.

Also In The News

• Weekly News & Updates for UK Accountants (5-9 October 2026) - Last week's round-up covering the stories that shaped the week for UK practitioners.
• Step-By-Step Guide to MTD ITSA for Agents [With Checklist] - A practical guide, with a checklist, to MTD ITSA for agents and how to get started.
• UK Dividend Tax Rates & Calculator 2026/27 | FigsFlow - Current dividend tax rates for 2026/27, plus a calculator to work out what clients owe.
• Understanding Proposals for Accountants | FigsFlow - Legal and professional insights to help you build stronger client proposals.

Conclusion

The dates this week are fixed, but the preparation is still open. The Budget will not wait, the MTD software market has not caught up with year-end reporting, and the charity lease changes already apply to financial years beginning this year. The fraud guidance is a reminder that routine controls matter too.

The immediate work is narrow: review higher rate clients for pension and ISA planning before 28 October, and check client software before the 7 November deadline. The rest is planning, with the £30,000 MTD threshold and the lower Cash ISA limit both arriving in April 2027.

We publish these updates every week. Follow us to get next week's round-up as soon as it lands.