Tax deadlines don't care that you're busy filming
The single most expensive mistake creators make isn't getting a number wrong — it's missing a date. HMRC's late-filing and late-payment penalties are automatic, they stack up, and interest runs on top. None of it is discretionary, and "I forgot" isn't a defence.
The fix is boringly simple: know the dates and put them in your calendar now. This guide lays out the full creator tax year in order, explains the one that always ambushes people (payments on account), and flags the big change landing in April 2026.
The UK tax year at a glance
The UK tax year runs 6 April to 5 April. Everything below hangs off that. Let's walk through the dates in the order they hit you.
5 October — the registration deadline
If this is your first year earning over £1,000 from content, you must register for Self Assessment by 5 October following the end of that tax year. Started earning in the 2026/27 year (which ends 5 April 2027)? Register by 5 October 2027. Miss it and you can face a failure-to-notify penalty. If you haven't registered yet, start with how to register as self-employed as a creator.
31 January — the big one
This single date does three jobs:
- Online Self Assessment filing deadline for the tax year that ended the previous 5 April.
- Payment deadline for the tax and NI you owe for that year (your "balancing payment").
- First payment on account for the current year (more on that below).
Worked example: The 2026/27 tax year ends 5 April 2027. You file that return and pay the tax by 31 January 2028. Simple to remember: file and pay by the 31 January that falls about ten months after the tax year ends.
31 July — the second payment on account
If you make payments on account, the second instalment is due 31 July. So the two advance payments land on 31 January and 31 July.
Payments on account — the ambush
Once your tax bill for a year tops £1,000, HMRC asks you to pay towards next year in advance, in two instalments. Each is 50% of your last bill.
Why the first bill hurts: Say your first bill is £4,000, due 31 January. HMRC also wants a first payment on account of £2,000 the same day — so £6,000 leaves your account at once. Then another £2,000 on 31 July. It's not extra tax, it's your future tax paid early — but if nobody warns you, it's brutal. Set money aside all year.
A common creator move is to keep roughly 25–30% of every payout in a separate savings pot as it comes in. When the bills land, the money's already there. Our guide on registering as a creator covers how the tax and NI are worked out.
The penalties for missing these dates
Late filing:
- 1 day late: an automatic £100 penalty, even if you owe no tax.
- 3 months late: daily penalties start adding up.
- 6 and 12 months late: further penalties, based on the tax owed.
Late payment triggers its own penalties at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months, and interest runs on anything paid late from the due date. The message is blunt: file on time even if you can't pay in full, then talk to HMRC about a payment plan — the penalties are worse for not filing than for not paying.
April 2026 — Making Tax Digital arrives
From 6 April 2026, Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax begins for self-employed and property income over £50,000. It drops to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028.
If you're caught by it, the change is real: instead of one return a year, you keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC through compatible software, then finalise at year end. For a creator crossing £50,000 — very achievable on OnlyFans or a monetised channel — this is a genuine shift in how you work, not a tweak. Get your bookkeeping onto software early rather than scrambling.
Rule of thumb: If your creator income is heading towards £50,000 a year, assume MTD applies to you and get set up on software now. Check the current thresholds, as they phase in by year.
Your creator calendar, in one place
- All year: save ~25–30% of every payout; keep receipts.
- 5 October: register by this date in your first year over £1,000.
- 31 January: file, pay your bill, and pay the first payment on account.
- 31 July: second payment on account.
- From 6 April 2026: quarterly MTD updates if your income is over the threshold.
Put these in your phone now. If you'd rather never think about a deadline again, that's exactly what we do — get started and we'll keep you ahead of every date.
