Self Assessment tax returns in UK

Self Assessment is a system HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) uses to collect Income Tax.Tax is usually deducted automatically from wages, pensions and savings. People and businesses with other income must report it in a tax return.

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Self Assessment is a system HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) uses to collect Income Tax.

Tax is usually deducted automatically from wages, pensions and savings. People and businesses with other income (including COVID-19 grants and support payments) must report it in a tax return.

Who must send a tax return

You must send a tax return if, in the last tax year (6 April to 5 April), you were:

self-employed as a ‘sole trader’ and earned more than £1,000 (before taking off anything you can claim tax relief on)
a partner in a business partnership

You will not usually need to send a return if your only income is from your wages or pension. But you may need to send one if you have any other untaxed income, such as:

- some COVID-19 grant or support payments
- money from renting out a property
- tips and commission
- income from savings, investments and dividends
- foreign income

Other reasons for sending a return
You can choose to fill in a tax return to:

claim some Income Tax reliefs
prove you’re self-employed, for example to claim Tax-Free Childcare or Maternity Allowance

Registering and sending a return

You need to register if you did not send a tax return last year. There are different ways to register if you’re:

self-employed or a sole trader
not self-employed
registering a partner or partnership

If you’re new to Self Assessment, you’ll need to keep records (for example bank statements or receipts) so you can fill in your tax return correctly or we can assist you on it.

Sending your return
Once you’ve registered, you can send your tax return online, or use commercial software or paper forms. You then have to pay your bill by the deadline. We can get help filling in your return.

Using commercial software or paper forms
You can send a return using commercial software or paper forms.

You must use one of these options to send returns:

for a partnership
for a trust and estate
if you get income from a trust
if you lived abroad as a non-resident
if you’re a Lloyd’s underwriter
if you’re a religious minister
to report profits made on selling or disposing of more than one asset (‘chargeable gains’)