The data showed HMRC agreed 221,207 new Time to Pay arrangements covering £7.136bn of PAYE debt during the 2025/26 financial year, compared with 217,925 arrangements worth £4.259bn in 2023/24.
Despite these challenges, 82% said relocating themselves or their headquarters outside the UK was "very unlikely".
The tax paid was up more than 20% on the previous year, according to analysis of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data from Standard Life.
Around 22% said they struggle to pay Corporation Tax, 12% reported difficulties paying VAT, and a further 20% said they struggle to pay both.
Premium Credit research found 22% of SMEs fear they could be forced out of business over problems paying tax bills in the next 5 years, while 39% have missed up to 4 tax bill deadlines in the past 3 years.
Data from The Accountancy Partnership revealed that 44.7% of cited tax administration as the biggest negative impact on their work.
Tradesman Saver found that around 61% of tradespeople currently manage their accounts themselves, while just 21% said they use an accountant or bookkeeper.
The report found that workers earning between £100,000 and £125,140 lose an extra 40% tax relief if they do not reclaim through their self-assessment tax return.
Chris Eastwood, CEO at Penfold, said: “If you don’t claim the extra relief you’re entitled to, you simply pay more tax than you need to.”
New research from Royal London shows confusion and budgeting gaps persist 30 years after self-assessment was introduced, with many taxpayers facing higher-than-expected bills.
Penfold warned that bonuses are taxed in the same way as salary, meaning a significant portion can be lost before it reaches employees’ bank accounts.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that personal tax and NICs thresholds will remain frozen for an additional three years from 2028.