If you have straightforward tax affairs and already pay tax from a job or pension income through PAYE (Pay As You Earn) you probably won't need to fill in a tax return. But if you're a higher rate tax payer, a company director or have more complicated tax affairs you may need to complete one.
If your tax affairs are straightforward you might qualify for the short tax return rather than the longer full one. If you do, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) sends it to you.
The short tax return is only four pages long and the accompanying notes will help you fill it out. It cannot be submitted online. If you prefer to submit your tax return online you have to complete the full return instead.
The records you'll need to complete the short return are similar to the ones you'll need for the core pages of the full return. To find out more go to 'Step three - complete the core pages'.
You can fill in the full tax return on paper or complete it online.
If you submit the return online the software automatically calculates any tax payable and instantly acknowledges that we have received your return. You'll also have longer to file the return than if you use a paper form - you'll have until 31 January following the end of the tax year instead of 31 October.
You'll need to register for Online Services on the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) website if you want to submit your return online.
The paper version of the main tax return has two core forms (SA100 and SA101) as well as supplementary pages (for example for employment income or income from property) tailored to your needs. If you get the full tax return you'll need to:
If you file online, simply select the supplementary pages you need. The HMRC software provides most (but not all) of the supplementary pages online. You may, however, be able to submit these pages using third-party software.
If you complete a paper return
If you complete a paper return it will tell you if you need to fill in any supplementary pages. You can download any missing pages and help notes from the HMRC website.
For the relevant tax year (6 April to the following 5 April) you'll need records relating to:
For the relevant tax year you'll need records of:
If you want to claim relief for retirement annuity and pension contributions and for costs such as gifts to charity, you'll need records showing that you've made these payments.
If you're paying back a student loan and your income is over £15,000, you can make payments through either Self Assessment or PAYE along with any tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
Contact and bank details
HMRC asks you for:
If you don't have exact figures you can use:
Use the 'Additional Information' section to say how you arrived at these figures and why you can't use actual figures. If you make adjustments later and you've underpaid tax you may have to pay interest and penalties.
The deadlines for sending HMRC your tax return are:
Receipts are not provided for paper tax returns. If you file online you'll get an immediate, on-screen acknowledgment that HMRC has received your return.
So that HMRC can process your return quickly:
Filing online can help you to avoid making mistakes. Follow the link below to find out how to register to file your tax return online.
If you need help you can ring the Self Assessment Helpline on 0845 900 0444. It's open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm every day, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.