Investing in certain schemes before the January 31st tax deadline can help reduce tax bills. An investment of £10,000 now in an EIS, SEIS or SITR scheme provides 30% tax relief that can lower 2016/2017 taxes by £3,000 and 2017/2018 payments by £1,500, reducing the total due by £4,500. Similarly, a £1,000 charity donation now carries back 40% higher rate tax relief of £200 to 2016/2017 and lowers 2017/2018 payments by £100, reducing taxes by £300 in total. These investment schemes carry risk, so professional advice should be sought before investing.