April 5 is coming. Are your clients prepared?
Every tax year, billions of pounds in allowances go unused because people either forgot, procrastinated, or did not realise they had them. For financial advisers, the last two weeks of the tax year are a predictable rush of clients asking what they should do before the deadline.
The question is whether your website helps with that rush or adds to the chaos.
Most IFA websites say nothing about tax year end planning. They have a generic services page and a contact form. A client searching "what should I do before April 5" at 10pm on April 2 will find their answer on a comparison site or a national firm's blog, not on your website.
That is a missed opportunity, both for your clients and for your practice.
£5.7bn
in ISA allowances went unused in 2024/25
Source: HMRC ISA statistics
The allowances that reset on April 6
Every one of these resets to zero on April 6. They cannot be carried forward. If your clients do not use them by April 5, they are gone.
| Feature | Allowance | 2025/26 limit |
|---|---|---|
| ISA contribution | Stocks & Shares, Cash, or mix | £20,000 |
| Pension annual allowance | Tax relief on contributions | £60,000 |
| Capital gains tax exemption | Tax-free gains on disposals | £3,000 |
| Dividend allowance | Tax-free dividend income | £500 |
| Gift exemption (IHT) | Annual gift allowance | £3,000 |
| Junior ISA | For under-18s | £9,000 |
The pension opportunity most clients miss
The pension annual allowance is £60,000 for most people, but many clients do not realise they can carry forward up to three years of unused allowance. That means some clients could contribute up to £180,000 (plus this year's £60,000) before April 5.
Allowance available (£k)
For higher-rate taxpayers, pension contributions are one of the most tax-efficient actions available. A £40,000 contribution for a 40% taxpayer generates £16,000 in tax relief. For additional-rate taxpayers at 45%, that rises to £18,000.
The catch is timing. Pension contributions must be received by the pension provider before April 5, not just requested. For clients making large contributions, this needs to happen days before the deadline to allow for processing.
What changes from April 6 that clients should know about
This is not just about using existing allowances. Several tax rules change on April 6, 2026, and clients need to understand the impact.
Step 1
Dividend tax rates increase by 2%
Basic rate rises from 8.75% to 10.75%. Higher rate from 33.75% to 35.75%. Additional rate from 39.35% to 41.35%. Business owners who extract profits via dividends will pay more from April 6.
Step 2
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Sole traders and landlords with income over £50,000 must now keep digital records and submit quarterly updates. This affects many IFA clients with rental property or side businesses.
Step 3
Business and farm asset IHT relief capped
Agricultural and business property relief now capped at £2.5m per person. Assets above this get 50% relief, meaning an effective 20% IHT rate. Major impact for farming families and business owners.
Step 4
Work from home tax relief scrapped
The income tax relief for home working costs is discontinued from April 6. Clients who have been claiming this need to know it is ending.
Step 5
State pension rises 4.1%
Full new state pension increases to £230.25 per week under the triple lock. Worth factoring into retirement income projections for clients approaching or in retirement.
How your website can help during tax year end
Tax year end creates a surge of activity. Clients and prospects are searching for information, checking deadlines, and trying to understand what they need to do. This is exactly the time your website should be working hardest.
Publish a tax year end checklist. A single page or blog post covering the key deadlines and actions. This is the kind of content that ranks well on Google because people are actively searching for it right now.
Make sure clients can reach you. The tax year end falls on a Sunday this year (April 5, 2026). Clients will have questions on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. If your website cannot answer those questions, they will find the answers somewhere else, from an adviser whose site can.
340%
increase in 'tax year end' searches in final two weeks of March
Source: Google Trends, UK data
Capture the prospects who are not yet clients. Tax year end is when financially engaged people actively seek advice. Someone searching "should I use my ISA allowance" at 9pm on April 3 is exactly the kind of prospect you want. If they land on your site and find helpful content plus a way to ask a follow-up question instantly, you have a real chance of converting them.
As we covered in ISA Season: Is Your IFA Website Ready for the April Enquiry Rush?, the advisers who capture the most business during this period are the ones whose websites work when prospects are searching, not just when the office is open.
Your website should be your hardest-working asset right now. If it is sitting quietly with a contact form and a generic services page, you are leaving both client outcomes and new business on the table.
Want to make sure your site can handle tax year end questions around the clock? Try the demo at chatifa.co.uk. Free trial, 25 messages, no payment details.