For those of you international jetsetters preparing your own taxes, it’s wise to keep an eye on the different financial years when you’re preparing your taxes and accounting records.
Screenshot IRS (US) website
I’ve always had a tough time remembering this info when I efile, so I’ve prepared a helpful list of nine English speaking countries (and Taiwan), their fiscal years and tax deadlines for personal filing.
| Country | Personal Tax Year | Personal Taxes Deadline |
| United States | 1 Jan. to 31 Dec. | 15 April |
| United Kingdom | 6 April to 5 April | 31 October |
| Australia | 1 July to 30 June | 31 October |
| Canada | 1 Jan. to 31 Dec. | 30 April |
| New Zealand | 1 April to 31 March | 7 July |
| Hong Kong | 1 April to 31 March | 15 August |
| Ireland | 1 Jan. to 31 Dec. | 31 October |
| South Africa | 1 April – 31 March | 5 December |
| Singapore | 1 April – 31 March | 15 April |
| Taiwan | 1 Jan. to 31 Dec. | 31 May |
In some countries, the fiscal (tax) year deadline varies. There is also quite a variation in the deadline date, payment methods, even the nomenclature of the ‘personal income tax’. So always do your research thoroughly and consult competent tax and financial authorities before you submit your taxes.
There are stiff penalites for being late with your tax filing or even non-filing. So I cannot stress enough: do your research ahead of time!
If you spot any errors, please contact me and I’ll update this post as a matter of priority. Also, I’d like to link to some competent tax sources online, including the tax authorities, so drop any links and I’ll turn this into a real resource page.