Self Assessment for Company Directors: New Reporting Rules for 2025/26

Share This Post in Social media

A company paid you nothing during the year. It may even have been dormant. Does that mean you can leave the directorship off your personal tax return? HMRC’s latest clarification means that assumption could leave your return incomplete.

From 2025/26, directors already required to file a Self Assessment return must generally report each UK directorship on a separate SA102 employment page, including unpaid and dormant-company appointments. Relevant close-company details must also be completed. Being a director does not, by itself, require you to register for Self Assessment. HMRC Agent Update 147; ICAEW’s clarification.

What has changed in Self Assessment for company directors?

The Income Tax (Additional Information to be included in Returns) Regulations 2025 introduced additional reporting from 2025/26. Following questions from agents, HMRC issued further guidance on 17 September 2026.

The purpose is to give HMRC better information about directors and how they receive income. The changes do not alter the underlying tax treatment or create a new tax liability. However, they can require disclosures even where there is no income to tax. HMRC Agent Update 147.

For directors preparing their 2025/26 return, the relevant period is 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026. Start with appointments held during that period, including roles you have since left. HMRC’s employment pages are completed separately for each relevant employment or directorship. HMRC SA102 form and guidance.

Which directorships need to be included?

HMRC’s updated return notes distinguish between the following circumstances:

Appointment	Reporting position for someone required to file
UK company director, including a dormant-company director	Generally complete an employment page.
Unpaid director of a registered charity or community interest company (CIC)	An exception applies if the specified conditions below are met.
Director of a non-UK company receiving pay or benefits	Complete an employment page; consider the relevant foreign-income rules too.

For the charity/CIC exception, the director must neither have received nor become entitled to employment income, dividend income or another distribution from the organisation or any connected company. Calling a role “voluntary” is therefore insufficient without checking the financial arrangements. HMRC’s 2025/26 tax return notes.

Relevant unpaid UK directorships remain reportable, including where there is no shareholding. Dormant close-company directors must also complete the close-company disclosures. ICAEW technical analysis.

What information goes on the SA102 employment pages?

The director and close-company fields on the 2025/26 form are:

SA102 box	Information required
6	Whether you were a director.
6.1	The cessation date, where you stopped being a director during the tax year.
7	Whether the company was a close company.
7.1	Close-company name.
7.2	Company registration number.
7.3	Dividends received from that close company.
7.4	Percentage shareholding.

Complete the close-company fields where applicable; they are not a requirement to classify every UK company as close. HMRC’s 2025/26 SA102 form.

Broadly, a close company is controlled by five or fewer participators, or by participators who are directors. A participator is wider than simply a shareholder. There are exceptions and further tests, so ownership and control should be checked rather than inferred from the company’s size. HMRC’s close-company definition.

The close-company disclosures apply where the company was close for any part of the tax year. Where dividends or shareholding are nil, enter 0 in the relevant box rather than leaving it blank. ICAEW technical analysis.

Two details deserve particular attention:

Shareholding is not simply the year-end percentage. HMRC requires the highest percentage held during the year, calculated using the shares’ nominal value.

The dividend disclosure is additional information. Dividends must still appear in the normal dividend section or other relevant part of the return; entering them in box 7.3 does not replace that entry.

Where there is no PAYE reference, HMRC’s notes say to enter “None” in box 4. Follow the corresponding instructions in your filing software. HMRC’s SA102 employment notes.

Sole Traders and Landlords Earning Over £30,000 Must Prepare for April 2027: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax

October 7, 2026/

Sole Traders and Landlords Earning Over £30,000 Must Prepare for April 2027:...

SSAS Pension: Tax Benefits, Property Investment and Rules for Directors

October 5, 2026/

SSAS Pension: Tax Benefits, Property Investment and Rules for Directors Home Blogs...

Business Property Relief: What the £2.5m Cap Means for You

October 3, 2026/

Business Property Relief: What the £2.5m Cap Means for You Home Blogs...

Business & Tax News and Developments September 2026

October 1, 2026/

Business & Tax News and Developments September 2026 Home News Business &...

Right to Work Checks Change on 1 October 2026: What Employers Must Do

September 30, 2026/

Right to Work Checks Change on 1 October 2026: What Employers Must...

Fraud, Convictions & Sentences – September 2026

September 29, 2026/

Fraud, Convictions & Sentences – September 2026 Home News Fraud, Convictions &...

What if your software cannot accommodate every directorship?

Some software allows only eight employment pages. HMRC’s fallback is to prioritise pages needing income, benefits, expenses or other employment entries, then report remaining directorships under “Any other information”. This applies when pages run out; it is not a general shortcut for unpaid roles. ICAEW’s report of HMRC’s updated online instructions.

Filing deadlines and the risk of incomplete reporting

The normal deadlines for the 2025/26 return are:

Requirement	Deadline
Paper return received by HMRC	31 October 2026
Online return submitted	31 January 2027
Balancing tax payment	31 January 2027

A later filing deadline can apply where HMRC issues a late notice to file. Check the notice if that affects you. GOV.UK Self Assessment deadlines.

ICAEW identifies a potential £60 penalty for failing to complete the required close-company information, not £60 for each omitted directorship or box. ICAEW technical analysis.

HMRC says it will assess compliance in context, including reasonable efforts made using the guidance available at the time. That makes it sensible to retain a record of any software restriction and the reporting approach taken. HMRC Agent Update 147.

A tax adviser’s perspective: start with appointments, not income

The practical weakness in a traditional tax questionnaire is that it often starts by asking what you earned. For this reporting exercise, the better starting point is which companies you served as a director.

For example, consider a director who files a return and holds appointments in one trading company and two dormant close companies. Collecting only the trading company’s P60 and dividend vouchers risks overlooking the other appointments. The preparation process should identify all three before deciding which entries are required.

A useful checklist is to:

List every directorship held during 2025/26, including unpaid roles and resignations.

Confirm company names, registration numbers and close-company status.

Reconcile dividends to the supporting records.

Review shareholding changes throughout the year.

Document the conditions supporting any charity/CIC exception.

Check the completed return against the appointment list before approval.

Company records and Companies House information can help cross-check the list, but ask the director to confirm completeness. A register search alone will not establish every payment, entitlement or shareholding change.

For accountancy teams, a reviewer should specifically check box 6 and the applicable entries in boxes 7–7.4. Software acceptance should not replace that completeness review.

Get your director’s tax return ready with confidence

The key takeaway is straightforward: begin with a complete list of appointments and then establish what each one requires. Waiting until the filing deadline to discover an omitted dormant company or a software limit creates avoidable work.

Naail & Co can help you review the reporting requirements and prepare your Self Assessment tax return using the relevant company and personal tax records.

Get in touch with Naail & Co to book your free initial consultation.

BUSINESS HOURS

Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 5:30 pm

Book a free consultation

Schedule your free consultation!

Frequently Asked Questions About Self Assessment for company directors

What is changing in Self Assessment for company directors for 2025/26?

Directors who already need to file a Self Assessment return must provide additional information about their directorships and relevant close companies. Generally, each UK directorship needs a separate SA102 employment page, including unpaid and dormant-company appointments. Close-company disclosures include company details, dividends and shareholding percentages. These are reporting changes; they do not themselves introduce a new tax charge. HMRC guidance.

Do I need to register for Self Assessment just because I am a company director?

No. Being a company director does not, by itself, require you to register for Self Assessment. The additional director reporting requirements apply where you already have an obligation to submit a return. Your income and wider circumstances may create that obligation separately. If HMRC has issued a notice to file, do not ignore it: submit the return or arrange for HMRC to withdraw the notice where appropriate. ICAEW guidance; HMRC return notes.

Why is an unpaid or dormant-company directorship relevant to my tax return?

An unpaid or dormant-company directorship can require disclosure even when it produces no taxable income. HMRC’s guidance generally requires UK directorships to appear on the employment pages, with applicable close-company information completed. For example, receiving a salary from one company does not justify omitting a separate dormant-company appointment. Give your accountant a complete list of roles held during the tax year. HMRC Agent Update 147.

How does Self Assessment for company directors deal with dividends and shareholdings?

Directors of relevant close companies report company-specific dividends in SA102 box 7.3 and their shareholding percentage in box 7.4. The percentage is the highest held during the tax year, calculated using nominal share capital, rather than simply the year-end holding. Dividends must also appear in the normal dividend section or other relevant part of the return. The additional disclosure does not mean they are taxed twice. HMRC employment notes.

Can you leave the close-company dividend and shareholding boxes blank when the figures are zero?

No. Where the close-company disclosures apply, enter 0 for nil dividends in box 7.3 and a nil shareholding in box 7.4. Leaving these fields blank can cause filing errors and does not clearly provide the required information. This applies to the relevant disclosure boxes; it is not an instruction to enter zero indiscriminately throughout the return. ICAEW technical analysis.

When should I submit my company director’s Self Assessment return for 2025/26?

The normal filing deadlines are 31 October 2026 for paper returns and 31 January 2027 for online returns. Any balancing tax payment is normally due by 31 January 2027. A later filing deadline may apply if HMRC issues a late notice to file. Prepare your appointment list and company records early so missing information or software restrictions do not delay submission. GOV.UK filing deadlines.

Is it possible to report multiple directorships if my tax software limits employment pages?

Yes. HMRC provides a fallback where there are insufficient employment pages. Use the available pages first for employments and directorships requiring income, benefits, expenses or other employment-related entries. Then provide the remaining directorship details in “Any other information”. This is a limited solution for page restrictions, rather than a general alternative to completing SA102 pages for unpaid appointments. ICAEW’s explanation of HMRC’s instructions.

Does Self Assessment for company directors apply to unpaid charity and CIC roles?

A qualifying unpaid directorship of a registered charity or community interest company can fall outside the requirement to complete an employment page for that role. The director must not have received, or become entitled to, employment income, dividends or another distribution from that organisation or a connected company. Check these conditions carefully: describing an appointment as voluntary does not establish the exception. HMRC tax return notes.

How much could incomplete director reporting cost in HMRC penalties?

HMRC may charge a £60 penalty for failing to provide the required close-company information. ICAEW explains that this is not £60 for each missing directorship or incomplete box. Separate late-filing or tax-related penalties may apply where relevant. HMRC says it will consider individual circumstances and reasonable compliance efforts, so retain evidence of any software limitations and the steps taken to report correctly. ICAEW penalty guidance; HMRC compliance approach.