diff --git a/app/dao/date_util.py b/app/dao/date_util.py
index 8bacdcb0c..b338703c4 100644
--- a/app/dao/date_util.py
+++ b/app/dao/date_util.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def get_current_calendar_year_start_year():
 
 
 def get_calendar_year_for_datetime(start_date):
-    if isinstance(start_date) == date:
+    if isinstance(start_date, date):
         start_date = datetime.combine(start_date, time.min)
 
     year = int(start_date.strftime("%Y"))
diff --git a/tests/app/clients/test_document_download.py b/tests/app/clients/test_document_download.py
index be8f38e40..8cc891b76 100644
--- a/tests/app/clients/test_document_download.py
+++ b/tests/app/clients/test_document_download.py
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ def test_should_raise_non_400_statuses_as_exceptions(document_download):
 
         document_download.upload_document("service-id", "abababab")
 
-    assert (
-        isinstance(excinfo.value) == Exception
+    assert isinstance(
+        excinfo.value, Exception
     )  # make sure it's a base exception, so will be handled as a 500 by v2 api
     assert (
         str(excinfo.value)
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def test_should_raise_exceptions_without_http_response_bodies_as_exceptions(
 
         document_download.upload_document("service-id", "abababab")
 
-    assert (
-        isinstance(excinfo.value) == Exception
+    assert isinstance(
+        excinfo.value, Exception
     )  # make sure it's a base exception, so will be handled as a 500 by v2 api
     assert str(excinfo.value) == "Unhandled document download error: ConnectTimeout()"
diff --git a/tests/app/test_model.py b/tests/app/test_model.py
index bdfc4c6cb..e2a2d1221 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_model.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_model.py
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ def test_notification_get_created_by_email_address(sample_notification, sample_u
 
 def test_notification_history_from_original(sample_notification):
     history = NotificationHistory.from_original(sample_notification)
-    assert isinstance(history) == NotificationHistory
+    assert isinstance(history, NotificationHistory)
 
 
 def test_rate_str():