Trust Tax Return Deadline 2027 – What Trustees Need to Know
January is approaching, and while most of the attention tends to be on personal Self Assessment Tax Returns, there is another deadline that can easily be overlooked.
Trust tax returns.
A conversation I often have with trustees starts with a question along the lines of:
"Jonathan, I'm a trustee, but I'm not sure whether we need to submit a tax return. Nothing much has happened in the trust this year."
It's a perfectly reasonable question.
Many people become trustees because a family member or friend has asked them to take on the responsibility. They don't necessarily have a background in accounting or taxation, and they may not appreciate that a trust can have its own tax reporting obligations.
The difficulty is that a trust doesn't necessarily need to be particularly active to have tax responsibilities.
And with the 31 January deadline approaching, now is a sensible time to establish whether anything needs to be done.
When is the Trust Tax Return deadline for 2025/26?
For trusts required to submit a Trust and Estate Tax Return (SA900) for the tax year ended 5 April 2026, the normal filing deadlines are:
31 October 2026 for paper tax returns.
31 January 2027 for tax returns submitted electronically.
31 January 2027 for payment of any balancing tax liability due for 2025/26.
The paper deadline has already passed, but trustees who are required to file and can submit electronically still have time to meet the January deadline.
Different deadlines may apply where HMRC has issued a notice to file late.
One point worth mentioning is that the SA900 cannot simply be completed through the same online service that individuals use for their personal Self Assessment returns. Electronic filing requires compatible commercial software.
This is one reason why trustees sometimes ask a specialist tax adviser to deal with the return on their behalf.
“The trust hasn't paid anything out. Surely we don't need a tax return?”
Not necessarily.
A trust may receive income even when no money has been distributed to beneficiaries.
For example, it might hold:
An investment portfolio generating dividends.
Cash deposits earning interest.
A residential or commercial property receiving rental income.
Investments that have been sold during the tax year.
Depending on the type of trust and the circumstances, that income or those gains may need to be reported to HMRC.
There may also be situations where no return is required.
The important thing is not to assume that a lack of distributions automatically means there are no tax obligations.
The lesson?
What happens within the trust matters just as much as what is paid out to beneficiaries.
“The trust is registered with HMRC. Doesn't that mean everything is up to date?”
This is another misunderstanding we encounter.
The Trust Registration Service (TRS) and the Trust and Estate Tax Return (SA900) are two different things.
The Trust Registration Service records information about the trust, its trustees and other relevant individuals.
A Trust and Estate Tax Return reports the trust's taxable income, gains and other relevant information for a particular tax year.
Registering a trust does not automatically mean that its annual tax reporting obligations have been satisfied.
Equally, not every trust registered with the Trust Registration Service will need to submit an SA900 every year.
There may also be a requirement to update the information held on the Trust Registration Service or confirm that it remains accurate.
The lesson?
Trust registration and trust tax compliance are related, but they are not the same thing.
“Our solicitor set up the trust. Won't they deal with the tax return?”
Possibly, but it is worth checking.
Solicitors are often involved in establishing trusts, advising on their legal operation and assisting trustees with decisions.
Some firms also deal with trust taxation, while others prefer to refer the annual tax compliance work to specialist accountants or tax advisers.
At Tax Matters, we regularly work alongside solicitors and other professional advisers, providing support with the tax aspects of trusts while they continue to manage the legal and wider administration work.
The important thing is that everyone understands who is responsible for what.
The lesson?
Never assume somebody else is preparing the trust tax return without confirming that arrangements are in place.
What information is needed to prepare a Trust Tax Return?
If you're a trustee and the trust needs to submit an SA900 for 2025/26, it's worth gathering the relevant information now.
Depending on the trust's circumstances, this might include:
Bank statements and certificates of interest.
Investment income and dividend statements.
Rental income and property expenses.
Details of investments or property sold.
Records of distributions made to beneficiaries.
Previous trust tax returns and tax calculations.
The trust's Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR).
Details of any changes affecting the trust during the year.
Not every trust will need all of these records.
However, having the information organised before approaching a tax adviser can make preparing the return considerably more straightforward.
What happens if the Trust Tax Return is late?
Where HMRC has issued a notice requiring a trust tax return, missing the applicable filing deadline can result in an initial £100 late-filing penalty.
Further penalties may arise if the return remains outstanding, and interest or late-payment penalties may apply where tax is not paid on time.
The important point is that these problems are often avoidable.
Leaving the return until the final days of January can create unnecessary pressure, particularly where investment information, historic records or details of trust distributions still need to be obtained.
Jonathan's Tip
If you're a trustee, ask yourself three simple questions before Christmas:
1. Does the trust need to submit a tax return for 2025/26?
2. If it does, who is responsible for preparing and submitting it?
3. Do they have all the information they need?
If you cannot confidently answer all three, now is the time to find out.
A short conversation in November or December can be considerably easier than trying to resolve everything during the final week of January.
How Tax Matters can help with Trust Tax Returns
At Tax Matters, we specialise in private client taxation, including the preparation of Trust and Estate Tax Returns (SA900).
We work with individual trustees, families, solicitors, accountants and other professional advisers who need assistance with their trust tax compliance obligations.
Our work includes preparing and submitting trust tax returns, reviewing trust income and Capital Gains Tax positions, assisting with Trust Registration Service requirements and advising on the tax consequences of distributions and other transactions.
Sometimes trustees need ongoing annual support.
In other cases, a solicitor or accountant may simply need a specialist firm to prepare the trust tax return while they continue looking after the client.
Both arrangements work well.
If you are unsure whether your trust needs to submit a tax return, or you need assistance preparing the 2025/26 Trust Tax Return before 31 January 2027, please contact Tax Matters.
We would be pleased to discuss the circumstances and provide a quotation for the work involved.
A final thought
Being a trustee carries responsibilities, but it doesn't mean you need to become an expert in trust taxation.
The important thing is recognising when advice is needed and making sure the trust's obligations are being dealt with.
And with 31 January approaching, there's no particular benefit in leaving that conversation until the new year.
If your trust has a tax return to complete, now is a good time to get it organised.
