Self Assessment tax returns
Registering for Self Assessment
You must tell HMRC by 5 October if you need to complete a tax return for the previous year and you have either:
- not sent a tax return before
- registered before but did not need to send a tax return for the tax year 2023 to 2024
You can tell HMRC by registering for Self Assessment. Check how to register for Self Assessment.
You’ll need to keep records (for example bank statements or receipts) so you can fill in your tax return correctly.
Preparing for your tax bill
You’ll need to pay your tax bill by 31 January.
To prepare, once you’ve registered you can:
- estimate how much tax you might need to pay
- set up monthly or weekly payments to help you budget for your bill
- send your tax return any time after 5 April - doing it earlier means you’ll know what you owe