Do you need to pay tax on your income?

Do you work for yourself, rather than being employed by someone else? If so, you need to tell HMRC about your income and to pay any tax due. HMRC’s system for collecting Income Tax is called Self Assessment.

Why you might need to register for Self Assessment  

You need to be registered with HMRC for Self Assessment if you’re: 

• self-employed, owning and running your own business (this is called being a ‘sole trader’) and earning more than £1,000 a year 
• a partner in a business partnership  
• a director of a limited company earning over £100,000 

If any of the above apply for any tax year (6 April to 5 April) and you’re not already registered with HMRC, you need to register no later than 5 October after the end of the tax year. For example, for the tax year 6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023, you’d need to register for Self Assessment no later than 5 October 2023. 

If you are unsure if you need to register, please follow this link, and answer the questions to find out:

Check if you need to send a Self Assessment tax return - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

What to do once you register

You’ll then need to file a tax return. If you’re sending HMRC a paper return for the year 6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023, the deadline for this is midnight on 31 October 2023. If you’re submitting the same return online, you have a later deadline of 31 January 2024.

If you don’t tell HMRC about your income, or you submit your tax return late, you could be charged penalties and interest.

More information 

You can find more information online about: 

• Self Assessment and how to register 
• completing and submitting tax returns 

HMRC also have a useful video on their YouTube channel about how to register.