The new UK tax year began on 6 April, as it has for more than 225 years. As well as being the date when UK tax rules can change, it can also be a great time for sole traders and landlords to make simple changes that leave them better organised, more in control and better off. Even small changes can make a big difference. So, what improvements should you make?

Having just filed your 2023/24 Self Assessment tax return, hopefully ahead of the 31 January online filing deadline, you probably don’t want to have to think about your next tax return for a good while. That’s perfectly understandable.

We will continue to support landlords and letting agents through this by either lobbying specific amendments or providing help and advice during the implementation to help you manage your properties and stay compliant.

According to the Centre for Ageing Better, life expectancy has tripled over the course of human history. In 1840, when infant and child mortality rates were still very high, the average life expectancy for a British man was just 40 years and it was 42 for a woman. By 1951, this had increased to 66 and 72 respectively. ? Fast forward and according to official ONS figures, a man aged 65 in the UK in 2020-22 could expect to live until he was 83, while a woman could hope to live until she was 85. With people living longer, we all need to better prepare for our retirement – including the UK’s 2.8m landlords.

OK, admittedly, fun is a bit of a stretch. And probably the only sense of enjoyment you’ll get is when you’ve actually filed your Self Assessment tax return and it’s off your plate for another year. However, there are things you can do to make completing your Self Assessment tax return much less boring and painful.

This article was shared with us by Landlord Vision and has been written by Mary Latham. Mary has been a self-managing landlord since 1972 and until July 2018 she was the West Midlands Regional Representative for the NLA. Over the years Mary has been consulted by government, local authorities and other groups within the housing industry and is well known for her in-depth knowledge of legislation and regulation.