Self Assessment tax returns
Who must send a tax return
You must send a tax return if, in the last tax year (6 April to 5 April), any of the following applied:
- you were self-employed as a ‘sole trader’ and earned more than £1,000 (before taking off anything you can claim tax relief on)
- you were a partner in a business partnership
- you had to pay Capital Gains Tax when you sold or ‘disposed of’ something that increased in value
- you had to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge
You may also need to send a tax return if you have any untaxed income, such as:
- money from renting out a property
- tips and commission
- income from savings, investments and dividends
- foreign income
Check if you need to send a tax return
You can check if you need to send a tax return if you’re not sure.
You must tell HMRC by 5 October if you need to complete a tax return and have not sent one before. You can tell HMRC by registering for Self Assessment.
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
- pay voluntary National Insurance contributions