Swift Accountants · A clear starting point for 2025/26
Do I need to do a Self Assessment tax return? The answer depends on your income, your circumstances and whether HMRC has asked you to file.
Perhaps a side project has started earning money. Perhaps you have become a landlord, received dividends or opened a letter you do not quite understand. You deserve an answer that makes sense for your life.
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The answer you came for
Start with these common situations, then check the details below. This guide concerns individuals and the 2025/26 tax year: 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026. A return reports your position; it does not necessarily mean you will owe tax.
You were a sole trader with gross trading income over £1,000, a partner in a business partnership, or had a tax charge that needs reporting through Self Assessment.
Your next step: identify the relevant income and check registration and filing dates.
You received rent, dividends, savings interest, foreign income or proceeds from selling assets. Amounts, allowances and available reporting routes matter.
Your next step: review every income source, even if it came from something you do only occasionally.
Your income was dealt with correctly through PAYE, no other filing reason applies and HMRC has not left an outstanding requirement to file.
Your next step: keep the records supporting that conclusion and review it when your circumstances change.
Deal with that request even if this checklist suggests you would not otherwise need to file. Submit the return or ask HMRC to withdraw the requirement and obtain its confirmation. Read what to do with the letter.
Choose the correct tax year and consider all your circumstances. The official checker covers situations a general guide cannot decide for you.
Freelancing · Side work · Selling your creations
If your combined trading income exceeds £1,000 before expenses in the tax year, you normally need Self Assessment. That can include freelance work, tutoring, gardening, delivery work or goods you make to sell.
Add your trading activities together. The threshold is not a separate £1,000 for each customer, app or business. Platform fees and other costs do not turn the gross-income test into a profit test.
At £1,000 or below, the trading allowance may mean you do not need to report that income. There are exceptions, including certain income from an employer or connected company. Keep income records even where the allowance covers you.
We can help you organise the figures and understand what belongs in your sole trader records.
Fictional example: Alex receives £1,600 from freelance work and spends £1,100 on allowable costs. The £500 profit does not remove the filing requirement created by gross trading income over £1,000.
Selling your own used clothes or books usually differs from buying or making goods to sell for profit. An online platform sending information to HMRC does not, by itself, mean you owe tax.
Use the UK tax year, from 6 April to 5 April. An app’s annual statement may cover a calendar year instead. Keep enough detail to reconcile the dates, sales, fees and refunds.
Official guidance: trading allowance and exceptions · online selling and services.
Employment · Pensions · Higher salaries
That may be enough. For 2024/25 onwards, the income-only Self Assessment threshold for PAYE taxpayers has been removed. A salary over the old £100,000 or £150,000 figures does not, on its own, require a return.
You still need to check additional income, tax charges, relief claims and any outstanding HMRC notice. A pension contribution or change in benefits can also be a reason to review whether the correct tax has been collected.
Priya earns £110,000, taxed entirely through PAYE. If no other filing reason applies and there is no outstanding notice, the salary alone does not require a 2025/26 return. She should still check her tax position.
HMRC explains the PAYE-only change. We can help with the wider picture through our personal tax service.
Landlords · Joint ownership · Lodgers
For personally owned rental property, HMRC says you must use Self Assessment where rental income is more than £2,500 after allowable expenses or £10,000 before expenses.
Smaller amounts can still need reporting. HMRC directs people with rental income above £1,000 up to £2,500 to contact it. The £1,000 property allowance has conditions, so it is not an automatic deduction in every case.
Bring the rent statements, ownership details, costs and any mortgage-interest information together. If an agent paid you a net amount, keep the statement showing the rent and deductions separately.
Our property accounting support can help you turn those records into a clearer picture.
The Rent a Room Scheme can cover up to £7,500 a year from eligible furnished accommodation in your home, reduced to £3,750 if you share the income. Income above the relevant threshold requires a return. Check that the accommodation and arrangement qualify; the scheme is not a general allowance for every rental property.
Official guidance: rental income reporting · Rent a Room.
Income beyond your payslip
The amount invested is different from the income it produces. Start with interest and dividend statements for the tax year, and distinguish tax-free accounts from taxable income.
HMRC requires a return where savings interest outside tax-free accounts such as ISAs is more than £10,000. This refers to interest received, not the account balance.
Below that level, tax may still be due. HMRC often collects it through a tax code or Simple Assessment. Check its calculation against your statements.
Dividend income outside tax-free accounts such as ISAs over £10,000 requires Self Assessment. Smaller taxable amounts can be reported to HMRC through another route if you do not already file.
The dividend allowance is a tax allowance, not the £10,000 filing threshold. Include income from all relevant shareholdings when checking your position.
Being a director does not, by itself, decide whether you need a personal return. Salary, dividends, benefits, other income and HMRC’s instructions all matter.
Your company’s accounts and Company Tax Return are separate obligations. We can help you understand what belongs to the company and what belongs to you.
Ask which route applies to the income, rather than assuming that no return means no tax. If you already need a return, include the relevant reportable income there. Keep statements even when an institution has also supplied information to HMRC.
Child Benefit · Household changes · Peace of mind
The High Income Child Benefit Charge can apply where you or your partner has adjusted net income above £60,000 and the Child Benefit conditions are met. This is an individual income test, not your combined household salary.
Adjusted net income includes relevant income beyond pay and takes account of certain reliefs. If both partners exceed the threshold, the higher-income partner is responsible for the charge.
A return is not always the only route. Eligible people who do not need Self Assessment for another reason can arrange to pay through PAYE. For 2025/26, that option must be arranged by 31 January 2027. If you need a return for another reason, report the charge there too.
If you previously filed only for this charge, contact HMRC to arrange the switch. Do not simply stop sending returns.
When life does not fit one category
A change of country, a property sale or a different way of working can bring reporting duties that a simple income threshold misses.
Selling shares, cryptoassets or property can create a Capital Gains Tax reporting requirement. The appropriate route depends on the asset and your circumstances.
Taxable UK residential property gains usually need reporting and payment within 60 days of completion. Do not wait for the January return deadline. Non-residents have wider UK property-reporting duties.
UK residents with foreign income or gains usually need Self Assessment, with exceptions and reliefs to consider. Tax paid abroad does not automatically settle the UK reporting position.
Residence and the rules applying from April 2025 matter. Tell us about overseas accounts, property, work and dates of arrival or departure so the right questions can be checked.
Members of business partnerships need personal returns. The partnership return does not replace each partner’s individual reporting.
For sole traders and partners under CIS, contractor deductions are advance tax payments. The return brings income, expenses and deductions together; it may show further tax due or a repayment.
Other situations include certain relief claims and off-payroll workers repaying student or postgraduate loans. Use the full HMRC guidance and official checker if your circumstances are not covered above.
A letter on the table. A question on your mind.
Keep the letter and its deadline. A nil tax bill, stopped business or online checklist does not cancel a notice to file.
Check which return HMRC wants and the date it must arrive. A letter about an earlier year needs attention even if your current circumstances are different.
If you believe no return is needed, tell HMRC why and ask it to withdraw the requirement. Include relevant changes such as stopping self-employment or rental activity.
HMRC will confirm whether you need to file. Until the requirement is withdrawn, continue treating it as outstanding and protect the deadline.
We can help you understand the notice and agree the next action. HMRC’s process when a return is no longer needed.
Know the year. Know what comes next.
For the 2025/26 tax year, these are the usual individual deadlines. Check any specific date HMRC gives you, particularly if you register late.
| Date | What to do |
|---|---|
| 5 October 2026 | Tell HMRC if you need to file and are new to Self Assessment or need to restart. |
| 31 October 2026 | The usual deadline for HMRC to receive a paper return. |
| 31 January 2027 | The usual online filing deadline and payment date. A first payment on account may also be due. |
| 31 July 2027 | A second payment on account, if applicable. |
Register promptly if required. HMRC’s current guidance gives late registrants a filing deadline three months from its letter or email, but the usual 2025/26 tax payment date remains 31 January 2027. Check your notice and any consequences of late notification.
See HMRC’s current deadlines, our full deadline guide and our explanation of payments on account.
Making Tax Digital
Needing an annual return and needing to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax are different tests. MTD qualifying income generally combines gross self-employment and property income before expenses, subject to the detailed rules and exemptions.
Qualifying income over £50,000 in 2024/25 brought eligible sole traders and landlords into MTD.
Qualifying income over £30,000 in 2025/26 is the relevant threshold for the next stage.
Qualifying income over £20,000 in 2026/27 is the threshold for the following stage.
Starting MTD in April 2026 does not replace the 2025/26 return. If you think you should already be using MTD, check promptly. We can discuss the records, software and support your circumstances require.
Check your MTD start date and exemptions · Work out qualifying income.
Listening. Understanding. Advising.
You do not have to become a tax expert before speaking to an accountant.
Tell us what changed and what is worrying you. Perhaps you are afraid of missing something, unsure which figures matter or simply tired of finding different answers online. We start with your circumstances and explain what needs checking.
If you would like us to prepare your return, we will agree the scope and fee before the work begins. We will explain the records needed, what you will review and the dates to plan around.
A useful conversation can also establish that a different HMRC reporting route is appropriate. Our role is to help you understand what you need.
No obligation to join. Explore our Self Assessment tax return service.
A new job, side business, property or letter is a good starting point. Tell us about anything that changed during the year.
We explain the questions to resolve, the records needed and any dates that deserve immediate attention.
Decide whether you want help with a return or other agreed work, with the scope and fee explained beforehand.
If we work together, we explain what needs your approval and how to plan for filing and any payment.
Start with the tax year, income sources, approximate amounts and any HMRC letter or deadline. Later, useful records may include P60s, business sales and costs, rental statements, interest certificates, dividend vouchers or CIS deduction statements.
You do not need a perfect spreadsheet before contacting us. We will explain how to share documents securely if they are needed. Keep your Government Gateway password private; an accountant uses the appropriate authorisation process.
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The questions behind the question
Find a clear starting point below. If your circumstances cross several answers, bring the whole picture to the conversation.
Possibly. The Personal Allowance concerns tax, rather than whether a return must be filed. Gross trading income over £1,000 or an outstanding HMRC notice can require a return even when little or no Income Tax is due.
It means gross trading income before expenses. Add the relevant trades together for the tax year. The trading allowance has exceptions, so check the detailed rules if your work or the person paying you falls into a special category.
Check both sources. PAYE deals with employment income, while the trading rules apply to your side business. Keep its sales separate from its costs; the amount left in your bank account is not necessarily the gross trading income.
No. The activity matters. Selling your own unwanted possessions usually differs from buying or making goods to sell for profit. Valuable personal possessions can also raise separate Capital Gains Tax questions. Keep records that explain what you sold.
No, for PAYE-only income from 2024/25 onwards. The old income-only thresholds have been removed. Other income, tax charges, certain relief claims or an outstanding notice can still require Self Assessment. Check the complete position.
No. Consider the director’s income, benefits and other circumstances. Company accounts and tax filings are separate from a personal return. Dividends or other untaxed income may create a reporting requirement, so check the amounts and the applicable route.
Retirement does not decide the answer. Pension tax may be dealt with through PAYE or another HMRC assessment. Rent, savings interest, overseas income or other circumstances can still require a return. Include every income source when checking.
No. Check HMRC’s calculation against your statements. If interest is reportable on your return, include it there. Where you owe savings tax and receive no calculation by 31 March of the following tax year, HMRC says to contact it.
No. First check whether a charge applies. Eligible people who have no other reason to file can arrange to pay the charge through PAYE, within HMRC’s conditions and time limit. An existing filing requirement needs to be dealt with when switching.
A Unique Taxpayer Reference identifies your tax record. It does not decide the filing requirement for every future year. Review your circumstances and any HMRC notice; obtain confirmation where you ask HMRC to stop requiring returns.
Tell HMRC and check whether a final return is needed. Keep the stopping date and final records. Other income may still require Self Assessment, and ceasing to trade does not automatically withdraw a return already requested.
For a self-employed sole trader or partner, CIS deductions are advance tax payments. Report the income and deductions through the appropriate return. Keep the contractor statements so the deductions can be reconciled with your records.
Sometimes there is a reason, such as claiming a trading loss, paying voluntary National Insurance or providing evidence of self-employment for certain benefits. Check which route achieves your purpose before registering or sending a return.
Register promptly if a return is required and read the deadline HMRC gives you. A different filing deadline does not automatically extend the tax payment date. Tell us which year is involved so the next steps can be considered.
No. Starting MTD in April 2026 relates to the new tax year. Your previous year’s return still needs to be completed where required. Being below an MTD threshold also does not mean that you are outside Self Assessment.
Deal with filing and payment as separate tasks. Ask HMRC about possible payment arrangements promptly; approval depends on your circumstances. Our penalty guide explains what can happen when a return or payment is late.
No. You can prepare and file your own return. An accountant can help when the rules feel unclear, several income sources need bringing together or you would value support. We explain the work and fee before you decide.
Yes. Start with the tax year, a short outline of your income and any HMRC request. Your first chat is completely free, with no obligation to join. We will explain what needs checking and the support available.
Keep the next answer close
For the people. For your dreams. For your future.
That is enough to begin a conversation.
Tell us what changed, what arrived in the post or what is keeping the question in your mind. We will listen, explain what needs checking and help you understand your next step.
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Tell us what you need help with. We’ll call you to understand your situation, explain how we can help and agree the next steps.
