Farm compliance calendar at a glance

This calendar organises your key farming compliance deadlines by month and quarter. Use it to plan ahead and avoid missing critical dates.

Tip: Bookmark this page and check it at the start of each month to see what is coming up.

Q1: January - March

January

1 January: New TB testing year begins in many areas - check your testing window
Mid-January: NVZ closed period ends for manufactured nitrogen on grassland (15 Jan)
31 January: Self Assessment tax return deadline (online) for previous tax year
Throughout: SFI annual declaration - check your agreement anniversary date

TB testing - know your window

Your TB test due date depends on your risk area and previous test dates. APHA will notify you, but track this yourself too - overdue testing triggers automatic movement restrictions.

High Risk Area (HRA) testing: Every 6 months
Edge Area testing: Annual or 6-monthly (location dependent)
Low Risk Area testing: Every 4 years
Pre-movement test: Required before moving cattle; farmer pays
Post-movement test: Required for animals from HRA or Edge Area; farmer pays
Routine surveillance tests: Government funded via APHA
Compensation scope: Animal value only; consequential costs not covered

All cattle keepers in England must comply with TB testing requirements. Testing frequency depends on your farm's location within one of three risk areas designated by APHA.

What farmers pay for:

Pre-movement testing (required before selling or moving cattle)
Post-movement testing (for animals arriving from higher-risk areas)
Private veterinary fees for these tests

What government covers:

Routine surveillance testing (every 6 months, annually, or 4-yearly depending on area)
Compensation for slaughtered reactor animals (animal value only)

Costs during a TB breakdown:

If your herd tests positive (a "breakdown"), expect uncompensated costs of £1,000 to £10,000 or more depending on herd size and restriction duration. These costs include movement restrictions preventing sales, additional testing, loss of productivity, and welfare costs for restricted animals. Compensation covers only the market value of slaughtered animals, not consequential business losses.

Bovine TB testing guidance (opens in a new tab)

February

Throughout: Prepare for new TB testing year if in annual testing areas
Throughout: Review slurry storage levels ahead of spring spreading season
Throughout: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications continue on a rolling basis (check GOV.UK)

March

1 March: Bird nesting season begins - avoid hedge cutting from now until August
Throughout: Last opportunity for winter slurry spreading in NVZs on some soil types
Mid-March: Consider spring fertiliser applications - check NVZ closed periods have ended
Throughout: Pre-movement TB testing if selling cattle at spring sales

NVZ closed periods

Check your specific closed period end dates - they vary by soil type and land use. For organic manures: grassland on sandy/shallow soils ends 31 December; other grassland soils 31 January. For manufactured nitrogen on grassland: 15 January. Tillage varies.

You must not spread nitrogen fertilisers or organic manures during closed periods. The dates depend on soil type, land use, and type of fertiliser or manure.

Organic manures with high readily available nitrogen

Includes slurry, poultry manure, and liquid digestate:

Grassland (sandy/shallow soils): 1 September to 31 December
Grassland (all other soils): 15 October to 31 January
Tillage land (sandy/shallow soils): 1 August to 31 December
Tillage land (all other soils): 1 October to 31 January

Manufactured nitrogen fertilisers

Grassland (all soil types): 15 September to 15 January
Tillage land (all soil types): 1 September to 15 January

Post-closed period restrictions

Between the end of the closed period and the end of February, reduced application limits apply:

Maximum slurry per application: 30 cubic metres per hectare
Maximum poultry manure per application: 8 tonnes per hectare
Minimum interval between applications: 3 weeks

NVZ closed periods guidance (opens in a new tab)

Q2: April - June

April

6 April: New tax year begins - new National Insurance rates and tax bands apply (minimum wage rates change on 1 April)
6 April: Scheme payment year starts for many agricultural schemes
19 April: PAYE year-end: final EPS deadline for employers (send your final FPS on or before the last payday of the tax year)
22 April: PAYE Q4 payment deadline (if paying quarterly)
30 April: NVZ storage record deadline - update records for previous year
Throughout: Silage making preparations - check clamp compliance

NVZ record keeping

By 30 April, you must update your NVZ storage records for the previous storage period (1 October - 1 April). Records must be kept for 5 years.

Farms in NVZs must keep detailed records of all nitrogen applications. The Environment Agency can request to see these records during inspections.

Record retention and update deadlines

Record retention period: 5 years
Field record update deadline: Within 1 week of spreading, sowing, or harvesting
Storage record deadline: 30 April each year
Risk map update deadline: Within 3 months of any change

What you must record

For manufactured fertiliser applications:

Date of spreading
Amount of nitrogen spread (kg)

For organic manure applications:

Area spread (hectares)
Quantity applied
Date of spreading
Method of spreading
Type of manure
Total nitrogen content
Crop-available nitrogen content

Risk map must show:

All surface waters on and adjacent to your land
Land within 10 metres of surface waters
All springs, wells, and boreholes within 50 metres
Land within 50 metres of these features

NVZ record-keeping templates (opens in a new tab)

May

31 May: P60 deadline - provide to all employees who were on payroll on 5 April
Throughout: Silage making begins - ensure silage clamps meet SSAFO requirements
Throughout: First cut grass - check field margins comply with scheme requirements
Throughout: TB testing continues - book tests well in advance of sales/movements

June

Throughout: Environment Agency summer inspections increase - ensure compliance
Throughout: Check buffer strips are maintained alongside watercourses
Throughout: SFI actions - check mid-year requirements (e.g., herbal ley management)
End June: Mid-point review - are you on track with scheme commitments?

Prepare for farm inspections

Understand who inspects farms, what triggers inspections, and how to build a good compliance track record.

Q3: July - September

July

6 July: P11D deadline - report benefits in kind to HMRC (employers)
22 July: Class 1A NIC payment deadline on benefits in kind
22 July: PAYE Q1 payment deadline (if paying quarterly)
Throughout: Second cut silage - ongoing clamp compliance
Throughout: Prepare for harvest - machinery safety checks

August

1 August onwards: Delinked payments paid in full from 1 August (final years of the scheme)
31 August: Bird nesting season ends - hedge cutting can resume from 1 September
Throughout: Harvest period - focus on safety, especially PTO and machinery
Throughout: Plan autumn work and slurry spreading before NVZ closed periods

Delinked payments

Delinked payments (replacing BPS) are paid as a single payment from 1 August each year (the two-instalment advance/balance structure ended after 2024). The highest payment is £600 in 2026 and 2027, and 2027 is the final year.

Scheme status: Replaced BPS in England in 2024
Application: Not needed; RPA pays automatically
Land or entitlements needed: None
2024 reductions: 50% to 70%, in four bands
2025 reductions: 76% up to £30,000; 100% above
2026 and 2027 reductions: 98% up to £30,000; 100% above
Payment timing, 2026 and 2027: Single payment from 1 August (planned)
Final year: 2027

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) replaced the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in England with delinked payments in 2024. You do not need to apply, and you do not need any land or entitlements to receive them. RPA pays delinked payments each year from 2024 to 2027, and the amount falls each year because progressive reductions are applied to your reference amount.

Reductions by year

Year	Reduction on each band of the payment	Highest payment
2024	50% up to £30,000; 55% from £30,000 to £50,000; 65% from £50,000 to £150,000; 70% above £150,000	No cap
2025	76% up to £30,000; 100% above	£7,200
2026	98% up to £30,000; 100% above	£600
2027	98% up to £30,000; 100% above	£600
2028	Payments end

The 2026 and 2027 percentages are set by regulations made on 8 June 2026. The highest payments are what remains of the first £30,000 after the reduction.

Delinked payments: replacing the Basic Payment Scheme (opens in a new tab)

September

1 September: NVZ closed period begins for organic manures on sandy/shallow grassland
1 September: NVZ closed period begins for manufactured N on tillage land
15 September: NVZ closed period begins for manufactured N on grassland
Throughout: Plan winter slurry storage - do you have 5-6 months capacity?
Throughout: Autumn TB testing deadlines approaching for some annual areas

NVZ compliance guide

Detailed guidance on closed periods, storage requirements, and record keeping for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones.

Q4: October - December

October

1 October: NVZ slurry storage period begins (to 1 March for cattle, sheep and goats; to 1 April for pigs and poultry)
1 October: NVZ closed period begins for organic manures on most tillage land
15 October: NVZ closed period begins for organic manures on non-sandy grassland
22 October: PAYE Q2 payment deadline (if paying quarterly)
Throughout: SFI winter cover crop sowing deadlines (typically by mid-October)

NVZ storage period

The storage period is when you are most likely to need slurry storage capacity. NVZ farms need 5 months' capacity covering 1 October - 1 March for cattle, sheep, goats, deer and horses, or 6 months covering 1 October - 1 April for pigs and poultry. Outside NVZs, new or substantially altered stores need at least 4 months' capacity under the SSAFO regulations.

NVZ storage requirements are stricter than the baseline SSAFO (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) regulations that apply to all farms. If you are in an NVZ, you must meet the higher NVZ standards.

Minimum storage capacity

NVZ minimum (other livestock): 5 months capacity
NVZ minimum (pigs and poultry): 6 months capacity
SSAFO baseline (non-NVZ): 4 months capacity
Storage period (cattle, sheep, goats, deer and horses): 1 October to 1 March inclusive
Storage period (pigs and poultry): 1 October to 1 April inclusive
Rainfall calculation: Must allow for 1 in 5 year wet conditions
Store lifespan requirement: 20 years with maintenance
Distance from watercourses: Minimum 10 metres for new stores

Why NVZ requires more storage

The longer closed periods in NVZs mean you cannot spread slurry during winter months when storage is most needed. You must have enough capacity to hold all slurry produced during the applicable storage period: 1 October to 1 March inclusive for cattle, sheep, goats, deer and horses, or 1 October to 1 April inclusive for pigs and poultry, without needing to spread during closed periods.

Calculating your requirement

Use the AHDB Slurry Wizard to calculate your storage needs based on livestock numbers, housing periods, and local rainfall data.

AHDB Slurry Wizard calculator (opens in a new tab)

Storing organic manures in NVZs (opens in a new tab)

November

Throughout: TB testing deadlines for annual testing areas - ensure tests are up to date
Throughout: Prepare for year-end record reviews
10 November - 31 December: NVZ grassland derogation application window for following year
Throughout: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications (year-round)

Bovine TB testing compliance

Testing frequencies by area, pre and post-movement testing, and what to do during a TB breakdown.

TB testing consequences

Movement restrictions apply immediately once your TB test becomes overdue - you cannot sell or move cattle. Compensation for any future reactors is reduced by 25% (61-90 days overdue), 50% (91-180 days) or 95% (more than 180 days).

Testing 61-90 days overdue: 25% compensation reduction
Testing 91-180 days overdue: 50% compensation reduction
Testing more than 181 days overdue: 95% compensation reduction
Unclean cattle at slaughter: 50% compensation reduction
Animals bought during breakdown: 50% compensation reduction

Compensation for compulsorily slaughtered reactor cattle can be significantly reduced if you fail to comply with TB testing requirements or reactor handling procedures.

Overdue testing reductions (England):

Tests must be 60+ days overdue before any reduction applies
61-90 days overdue: 25% reduction
91-180 days overdue: 50% reduction
More than 181 days overdue: 95% reduction

Other reductions:

Unclean cattle presented at slaughter: 50% reduction
Animals bought onto holding during breakdown: 50% reduction (exception for CHECS accredited herds)

These reductions are cumulative. Avoid penalties by keeping testing up to date and following all reactor handling requirements.

December

1 December: Annual sheep/goat inventory - count all sheep and goats on the holding on this date
31 December: Deadline to record and return your sheep/goat inventory count
31 December: NVZ closed period ends for some organic manures on sandy grassland
Throughout: Year-end review: scheme compliance, record completeness, upcoming tax return
Throughout: Plan for January Self Assessment deadline

Year-round compliance tasks

These obligations apply throughout the year, not to specific dates.

Within 3 days: Report all livestock movements (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs)
Within 36 hours: Update holding register for movements
Within 1 week: Update NVZ field records after spreading, sowing, or harvesting
Daily: Animal welfare checks for all livestock
Immediately: Report suspected notifiable diseases to APHA (03000 200 301)
Monthly: PAYE submissions and payments (if employer)
Quarterly: VAT returns (if registered) - 1 month + 7 days after quarter end
As scheduled: TB testing - book tests well in advance of due date
Annually: Risk assessment review (required more often if circumstances change)
Every 3 years: NSTS sprayer testing
Every 5 years: Soil testing (P, K, Mg, pH) - results must be no more than 5 years old when you apply fertiliser
At least 10 months apart: Annual Health and Welfare Review vet visits for the same herd or flock

Personalise your calendar

Note these farm-specific dates alongside the general calendar:

TB testing window

When is your next TB test due? APHA will notify you, but track it yourself. Note: [Your date here]
SFI/CS agreement anniversary

When does your scheme year start? Annual declarations are due around this date. Note: [Your date here]
Insurance renewal

When does your farm insurance renew? Review cover annually. Note: [Your date here]
Employer's liability certificate

If you have employees, when does your EL insurance expire? Note: [Your date here]
Sprayer test due date

When is your NSTS sprayer test due? Every 3 years. Note: [Your date here]
PA1/PA2 certificate

Are your pesticide certificates current? Note any CPD requirements.
Tenancy key dates

If tenant, note rent review dates, notice periods, and agreement end dates.

Quick reference contacts

Related resources

Prepare for farm inspections

Who inspects farms, what triggers inspections, your rights, and how to build a good compliance record.

Farm compliance calendar