Key dates
Key dates for online shops: October 2026 to December 2027
Dates for a small UK online shop between October 2026 and December 2027: postage price changes, the days the Black Friday and Christmas return windows end, bank holidays that move dispatch, tax deadlines for sole traders, and the EU customs changes for shops that ship there.
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October 2026
Royal Mail's new parcel prices take effect
Royal Mail's second price change of 2026. On eBay UK's summary of the tariff, a Tracked 48 small parcel bought online is £3.75 and a 2nd Class stamp for the same parcel is £4.40. Review postage settings and rate cards this week. Who: Shops that post with Royal Mail
Source: eBay UK announcement of the Royal Mail tariff, as set out in our guide; check Royal Mail's own price pages
Comes round every year
Deadline to tell HMRC you need to send a tax return for 2025 to 2026
Anyone who needs to send a return for the year to 5 April 2026 and has not sent one before must register for Self Assessment by today. The tax is still due by 31 January 2027 if you register late. Who: Sole traders who started selling in the last tax year
Source: GOV.UK, Self Assessment tax returns: deadlines, read 1 October 2026
November 2026
EU product identifiers become mandatory on low-value customs declarations
The identifiers have been voluntary since 1 July 2026. Hold a SKU and a six-digit tariff code against every product you ship to the EU, and ask your carrier what it will need on the declaration. Who: Shops that ship to EU customers
Source: European Commission notices on the €3 flat duty, as set out in our guide
Black Friday
An order delivered today can be cancelled until 11 December and rejected as faulty for a full refund until 27 December. Any extended Christmas returns wording needs to be on the product page and in the confirmation email before today.
Source: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30; Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22
December 2026
14-day cancellation window ends for orders delivered on Black Friday
Goods delivered on 27 November can be cancelled until the end of today. Goods delivered from today onwards still have their 14-day window open on Christmas Day; anything delivered earlier does not, unless the shop has extended it.
Source: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30
Christmas Day bank holiday; Monday 28 December is the substitute for Boxing Day
Bank holidays in England and Wales. The 14-day and 30-day return periods count calendar days and keep running through both. A dispatch promise in working days does not, so tell customers when you will next post.
Source: GOV.UK, UK bank holidays, read 1 October 2026
30-day right to reject ends for goods delivered on Black Friday
The short-term right to reject a faulty item for a full refund lasts 30 days beginning with the day after delivery. For goods delivered on 27 November it ends today; after that the repair and replacement rules apply.
Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22
January 2027
New Year's Day bank holiday
A bank holiday in England and Wales. If a late-parcel reply promised a replacement or a refund by a date this week, the promise still stands, so check the list of dates you have given customers before you close.
Source: GOV.UK, UK bank holidays, read 1 October 2026
14-day cancellation window ends for orders delivered on Christmas Eve
Goods delivered on Thursday 24 December 2026 can be cancelled until the end of today. The customer then has 14 days to send them back, and the refund is due within 14 days of their arrival or of proof of posting.
Source: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulations 30, 34 and 35
Comes round every year
Self Assessment: online return and tax payment due for 2025 to 2026
The online return must be submitted and the tax paid by 11:59pm. GOV.UK says a late return brings a late filing penalty and late payment brings a penalty of its own. Who: Sole traders and partners
Source: GOV.UK, Self Assessment tax returns: deadlines, read 1 October 2026
Comes round every year
Online platforms report sellers' 2026 income to HMRC
Platforms send HMRC each seller's income for the calendar year by the following January, unless the seller made fewer than 30 sales of goods and received less than about £1,700 for them. They must give you a copy; check it against your own sales reports. Who: Shops that sell on Etsy, eBay, Amazon or another platform
Source: GOV.UK, Selling goods or services on a digital platform, read 1 October 2026
March 2027
Good Friday bank holiday; Easter Monday follows on 29 March
Bank holidays in England and Wales on Friday 26 March and Monday 29 March 2027. Put your last dispatch day before Easter in the order confirmation, and date any late-parcel promise with the two days in mind.
Source: GOV.UK, UK bank holidays, read 1 October 2026
April 2027
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax starts for sole traders over £30,000
A sole trader whose qualifying income was over £30,000 in the 2025 to 2026 tax year needs to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from today. Those over £50,000 should have started on 6 April 2026; over £20,000 follows on 6 April 2028. Who: Sole traders registered for Self Assessment
Source: GOV.UK, Check if you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, read 1 October 2026
December 2027
EU Commission must assess whether the €3 flat customs duty needs extending
Under Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2026/382 the Commission must assess by today whether the EU's new customs system will be ready, and may propose an extension. The €3 per item duty otherwise runs until 1 July 2028. Who: Shops that ship to EU customers
Source: Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, Article 3, as set out in our guide
Substitute bank holidays for Christmas Day and Boxing Day: 27 and 28 December
GOV.UK lists Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December 2027 as bank holidays in England and Wales. Set the last dispatch day before Christmas early and say it in every order confirmation from the start of December.
Source: GOV.UK, UK bank holidays, read 1 October 2026
Dates can move. We checked each one on the date shown at the top of this page; check the source before you rely on a date for something that matters.
AEO Lookup editorial team
We write practical guides for people who run small UK firms, and we check every fact against its source on the date shown. Read how we review, or tell us if something has changed.