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ACCA Applied SkillsApplied Skills

Taxation

Develop essential tax knowledge covering income tax, capital gains tax, corporation tax, VAT, and national insurance contributions. Learn to compute tax liabilities and understand the UK tax system.

Exam Duration

3 hours

Pass Mark

50%

Students

30,000+

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Overview

ACCA Taxation

Taxation (TX) is an Applied Skills paper that develops knowledge and understanding of the tax system as applicable to individuals, companies, and groups. The paper focuses on the computation of tax liabilities and the ability to identify and explain the tax implications of different courses of action.

TX covers the major UK taxes: income tax (including employment income, property income, and trading income), capital gains tax, corporation tax, national insurance contributions, and value added tax. Students also study tax administration including filing requirements, payment dates, and penalties.

The paper requires students to apply their tax knowledge to practical scenarios, computing tax liabilities for individuals and companies while identifying opportunities for legitimate tax planning. TX is available in country-specific variants to reflect different jurisdictions' tax systems.

What You'll Learn

  • Explain the obligations of tax payers and the tax system
  • Compute income tax liabilities for individuals
  • Compute capital gains tax liabilities for individuals
  • Compute corporation tax liabilities for companies
  • Compute and explain VAT obligations and liabilities
  • Identify tax planning opportunities within the law

Career Relevance

Tax skills are highly sought after in accounting practice, corporate tax departments, and advisory firms. TX provides the foundational tax knowledge for roles in personal tax, corporate tax, tax advisory, and compliance across accounting firms and in-house tax teams.

Exam Format

  • Duration:3 hours
  • Pass Mark:50%
  • Format:Section A: Objective test questions (30 marks) and Section B: Constructed response questions (70 marks)

Prerequisites

Completion of ACCA Applied Knowledge papers. Knowledge from FA (Financial Accounting) is helpful for understanding the relationship between accounting profits and taxable profits.

Syllabus

TX Exam Syllabus

The TX syllabus covers the key topics you'll be examined on.

Total Topics:7
A
The UK Tax System and Its Administration
6 subtopics
  • The overall function and purpose of taxation in a modern economy
  • Principal sources of revenue law and practice
  • The systems for self-assessment and the making of returns
  • The time limits for the submission of information, claims, and payment of tax
  • The procedures relating to compliance checks, appeals, and disputes
  • Penalties for non-compliance
B
Income Tax Liabilities
5 subtopics
  • The scope of income tax
  • Income from employment
  • Income from self-employment (trading income)
  • Property and investment income
  • The comprehensive computation of taxable income and income tax liability
C
Chargeable Gains
5 subtopics
  • The scope of the taxation of capital gains
  • The basic principles of computing gains and losses
  • Gains and losses on the disposal of movable and immovable property
  • Gains and losses on the disposal of shares and securities
  • The computation of capital gains tax payable for individuals
D
Corporation Tax Liabilities
5 subtopics
  • The scope of corporation tax
  • Taxable total profits
  • Chargeable gains for companies
  • The comprehensive computation of corporation tax liability
  • The effect of a group corporate structure for corporation tax purposes
E
National Insurance Contributions
3 subtopics
  • The scope of national insurance contributions
  • Class 1 and Class 1A contributions for employed persons
  • Class 2 and Class 4 contributions for self-employed persons
F
Value Added Tax
3 subtopics
  • The scope of VAT
  • The VAT registration requirements
  • The computation of VAT liabilities
G
Inheritance Tax
4 subtopics
  • The scope of inheritance tax
  • The basic principles of computing transfers of value
  • Taper relief
  • The computation of inheritance tax payable
Exam Format

ACCA TX Exam Structure

Everything you need to know about the TX exam format, timing, and what to expect on exam day.

Format

Computer-Based Exam (CBE)

Duration

3 hours

Structure

Section A: Objective test questions (30 marks) and Section B: Constructed response questions (70 marks)

Exam Sessions

March, June, September, December

Pass Mark

50%

Exam Tips

Your Guide To Pass ACCA TX

Expert tips from our tutors to help you prepare effectively and pass your TX exam on the first attempt.

Know the Tax Rates

Ensure you are familiar with the tax rates and allowances for the applicable tax year. These are provided in the exam tax tables but knowing them helps you work faster.

Practice Pro Forma Layouts

Use structured pro forma layouts for income tax, CGT, and corporation tax computations. This helps ensure you include all elements and makes your answer clear to the examiner.

Watch for Tax Planning Points

Many questions include opportunities to advise on tax planning. Always look for ways to minimise tax liability through legitimate reliefs, exemptions, and allowances.

Learn the Tax Year Rules

Understand key dates for filing returns, making payments, and the opening/closing year rules for trading income. These are commonly tested in the exam.

Study the Correct Variant

TX is jurisdiction-specific. Ensure you are studying the correct country variant and tax year for your exam sitting.

Study with Learnsignal

Learnsignal provides structured TX courses with comprehensive coverage of all tax areas, worked examples, and expert tutor support to help you pass.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About TX

Everything you need to know about the Taxation exam and how to prepare for it.

Taxation (TX) is an Applied Skills paper covering the computation of tax liabilities for individuals and companies. It includes income tax, capital gains tax, corporation tax, national insurance, VAT, and basic inheritance tax.

The TX exam is 3 hours long. It is a computer-based exam with Section A (objective test questions worth 30 marks) and Section B (constructed response questions worth 70 marks).

TX is available in four exam sessions per year: March, June, September, and December.

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