What you hand over
- Your P60 or P45 if you're also employed, and any P11D
- Business income and expenses, or your accounts
- Rental income and costs for any property you let
- Interest, dividends, pensions and other income
- Pension contributions and Gift Aid donations
- Details of anything you've sold, such as shares or a second property
What we do
- Work out your tax and explain how it was calculated
- Claim allowances, reliefs and expenses you're entitled to
- Tell you what to pay, when, and how payments on account work
- File the return with HMRC online, on time
- Deal with HMRC on your behalf if they have questions
Who needs to file a Self Assessment return?
You usually need to file if you're self-employed with income over £1,000, a partner in a business, a landlord, receiving more than £10,000 in dividends, receiving other untaxed income, or need to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge. HMRC may also simply ask you to. If you're not sure, call us and we'll tell you.
If you need to file for the first time, you must register with HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year in which you started.
Payments on account
If your last Self Assessment bill was over £1,000 (and less than 80% of your tax was taken at source), HMRC asks for two advance payments towards the next year's bill, on 31 January and 31 July. Each is half of the previous year's bill. In your first year this can mean paying one and a half years' tax at once, so it's worth planning for. If your income has dropped, we can apply to reduce them.
Corporation Tax
Limited companies pay Corporation Tax on their profits. The main rate is 25%, with a 19% small profits rate for profits up to £50,000 and marginal relief between £50,000 and £250,000. We prepare the CT600 return alongside the company's accounts, and help you plan director salary and dividends so they're tax-efficient.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Since April 2026, sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC. The threshold falls to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. See VAT & Making Tax Digital for what that means for you.
Key dates
- 5 October
Register for Self AssessmentIf you need to file for the first time.
- 31 October
Paper tax return deadlinePaper returns for the tax year that ended on 5 April.
- 30 December
Online return to pay through PAYEIf you owe under £3,000 and are employed.
- 31 January
Online return and paymentBalancing payment plus first payment on account.
- 31 July
Second payment on accountAdvance payment towards the current year.
Common questions
What happens if I file late?
There's an automatic £100 penalty if your return is late, even if you owe no tax. Further penalties follow after three, six and twelve months, and interest is charged on late payment. Talk to us before the deadline, not after it.
Can you sort out returns for previous years?
Yes. If you've missed returns or should have registered and didn't, we can bring everything up to date and, where it's needed, make a disclosure to HMRC. Doing this before HMRC contacts you usually means lower penalties.
Tax information on this page reflects the rules as at November 2026. Rates, thresholds and dates change, so please talk to us before acting on it.