Don’t miss the October 5 deadline to register for self-assessment

Anyone who has become self-employed, was in a business partnership, earned more than £100,000 or had to pay the High-Income Benefit Charge this year has until October 5 to speak to HMRC to register for self-assessment.

Millions of people each year need to do a self-assessment, and this includes anyone earning money outside of their PAYE job, including commission or tips, or you earn income from renting out a property.

What if I need to claim tax relief?

If you need to claim tax relief on anything, such as items you pay for out of your own pocket which are solely used for your PAYE employment, then you would also need to sign up for self-assessment. You may be due a tax rebate too if you have been made redundant, as you may not have been paid as much as expected across the whole year.

Other tax reliefs might come from Gift Aid donations you have made to charity, or reclaiming the additional tax relief on your pension contributions if you are a 40% or 45% taxpayer.

You can also claim tax relief on maintenance payments if you have to make them to your ex-spouse or civil partner, although this would only apply if one of you was born before April 6, 1935.

Check if you need to make a self-assessment payment by visiting the Gov.uk website.

Can I be fined if I miss this deadline?

If you fail to notify HMRC before the October 5 deadline, then you could face a penalty. If you fail to register and file your return before January 31 of the year following the tax year when the amount was due, you could face another.

The best thing to do is act now and check if you need to file a self-assessment. If so, then get your skates on and register before October 5. If you can’t, then do it as soon as you can afterwards and check if any penalties will apply.

We can help you meet your obligations

If you think you may have a self-assessment liability for 2023/24, then please get in touch and we will make sure you get everything you need in place.