A.X.E.L Tax Playbook

Tax planning used to mean a firm, a meeting and a fee. Now it's included in your £49 return.

Name: A.X.E.L
Author: A.X.E.L

The ideas a firm would charge for, checked twice against HMRC's own guidance and tested on your own figures. Tonight, on your sofa, any day you like.

Try the free check-up Start with A.X.E.L Filing

93+ideas and growing, each with its official source
2independent checks before anyone sees one
UK-wideScotland and Wales figures handled

How it works

1The source

Built from HMRC's own guidance

Every idea starts from GOV.UK, HMRC's internal manuals and legislation.gov.uk, with the official page linked. 93 ideas so far and growing, for sole traders, company directors, landlords and employees with side income.

No forum posts, no rules of thumb.

2The checks

Checked twice, then again after every Budget

Before anyone sees an idea, it is checked twice against the official sources, the second time by an independent checker that never sees the first check's sources. After every Budget, ideas with rates or limits in them are checked again, and each idea shows the date it was last checked.

Scotland and Wales figures are handled separately.

3Your figures

Your figures decide what applies

Inside A.X.E.L Filing, a check-up tests the figures from your return and profile against every idea and estimates what each could save you for the tax year.

Your own AI can use it too, through the A.X.E.L Filing connector for ChatGPT or Claude.

What an idea looks like

Plain English, the official source, and a date.

Each idea says who it is for, where in the UK it applies, how it works and what to watch out for. Every figure links to the page it came from, and the date shows when it was last checked.

In the check-up, the same idea also carries an estimate worked out from your own figures.

PensionsCompany directors · All of the UK

Employer pension contributions from your own company

Your company can pay straight into your registered pension scheme. The payment is normally an allowable cost for Corporation Tax, and you pay no income tax or National Insurance on it, as long as it stays within your annual allowance: £60,000 for 2026-27, with unused allowance from the previous three tax years possibly carried forward.

Which scheme, provider or fund to use is a decision for an FCA-authorised adviser. This idea covers the tax treatment only.

Sources

GOV.UK: Tax on your private pension, annual allowance
HMRC National Insurance Manual NIM02716
HMRC Business Income Manual BIM46005 and BIM46035

Checked against GOV.UK on 29 October 2026

Free quick check-up

Three questions, about a minute. See how many Playbook ideas could apply to you, and an estimate of what each could be worth on its own this tax year.

Your result

We test your figures against every idea in the Playbook and show how many could apply to you, and what each could be worth on its own this tax year.

We tested it

25 real UK tax questions, answered by AI with and without the Playbook

The same AI answered every question twice, once on its own and once connected to the Playbook. A separate AI judge marked each answer against a checklist of what it must say and must not say, without knowing which was which.

Without the Playbook88.6%average score, 9 rubric violations

With the Playbook92.2%average score, 2 rubric violations

One run of 25 questions with our own rubric, so treat it as a sign, not proof. The Playbook did not fix everything: two answers still had a mistake. Read the full write-up →

What the AI got wrong on its own

Quoted the old 45p mileage rate55p a mile from 6 April 2026
Gave the old 8.75% basic rate of dividend tax10.75% for 2026-27
Suggested an employee working from home claimEnded for 2026-27
Named specific SIPP platforms and mortgage lendersA job for an FCA-authorised adviser

Accountants charge £100 to £250 an hour for tax planning. Ours is included.

What you get	Typical accountant quote	A.X.E.L Filing
Tax planning ideas	£100 to £250 an hour	Included, checked twice against GOV.UK
When you get them	At the year-end meeting, if you ask	Any day you like, tested on your figures
After a Budget	Usually at your next meeting	Reviewed after every Budget
Accounts + CT600	£500 to £1,500	£49 for both
Who is responsible for your tax	You	You

Accountant figures are typical published quotes from UK firms, checked October 2026; hourly rates for one-off tax advice are commonly quoted at £100 to £250. A.X.E.L Filing is a filing tool, not an accountancy service, and the Tax Playbook is information, not personal advice. For trusts, large property portfolios or an HMRC investigation, a qualified adviser is still the right call.

Questions

Is this financial or tax advice?

No. The Playbook is information, not personal advice. It shows which ideas could fit your figures and estimates what they might save, so you can decide what to look into or ask about. Savings are estimates. Pensions, investments, mortgages and insurance need an FCA-authorised adviser, and the Playbook never recommends a product or provider.

How is each idea checked?

Each idea is written from HMRC's own guidance: GOV.UK, HMRC's internal manuals and legislation.gov.uk. Before anyone sees it, it is checked twice against those official sources, the second time by an independent checker that never sees the first check's sources. After every Budget, ideas with rates or limits in them are checked again, and each one shows the date it was last checked against GOV.UK.

What about Scotland and Wales?

The Playbook is region-aware. Scotland has its own income tax bands and rates on wages, profits and rent, and Wales has its own property tax, so the check-up asks where you live and uses the right figures. Some things, such as dividend and savings tax, are the same across the UK, and the Playbook says so.

What does it cost?

The Playbook and the check-up are included with A.X.E.L Filing. The quick check-up on this page is free and needs no sign-up.

Can I use it with ChatGPT or Claude?

Yes. Connect your own AI to A.X.E.L Filing and it can search the Playbook and run the check-up on your figures, so its answers use current, dated figures instead of whatever it remembers.

A.X.E.L Filing

File your return, then see how to pay less next time.

The Tax Playbook is included with A.X.E.L Filing. Your figures from your return feed the check-up, so the ideas and estimates fit you, not an average.

Start with A.X.E.L Filing See filing prices

Information, not personal advice. Ideas come from the A.X.E.L Tax Playbook, each checked against GOV.UK and HMRC sources on the date shown. Savings are estimates for the tax year and region shown, based on the figures you give. Tax rules change, and your circumstances may differ. Pensions, investments, mortgages and insurance products need an FCA-authorised adviser. A.X.E.L is a product of THEAX LTD, not an accountancy firm.