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Money, tax and benefits

Money, tax and benefits

Completing a Tax Return

If you have relatively 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 complete a tax return. But if you're self-employed, a company director or have more complicated tax affairs you may need to complete one.

Filling in the Short Tax Return

If you have straightforward tax affairs you may qualify for the simpler Short Tax Return (if you do, this will be sent to you). At four pages long, the Short Tax Return is quick and easy to complete. The accompanying Short Tax Return guide is easy to follow.

The paperwork you'll need in order to complete the Short Tax Return is similar to that for the core pages and for the employment, self-employment and property supplementary pages of the full Tax Return. To find out more read the section 'Step two - complete any relevant supplementry pages' and 'Step three - complete the core and additional information pages' below.

Key steps for filling in the full Tax Return

The main Tax Return has six 'core' pages, an additional information page for less common types of income, deductions and reliefs, plus extra supplementary pages for specific types of income and capital gains. If you get the full Tax Return you'll need to:

  • check you've got the right supplementary  pages (if it's a paper return) - see 'Step one - check you've got the right supplementary pages' below
  • get together the paperwork you'll need
  • complete any supplementary pages that apply to you
  • complete the core pages and the additional information pages if they apply
  • send the completed Tax Return to your Tax Office within the filing deadline

You can complete the full Tax Return online (allow up to seven days to register) or on paper. If you file online your tax is calculated automatically on-screen, so you know what you owe or are owed right away. It'll also be dealt with more quickly.

Step one - check you've got the right supplementary pages

If you file online

In this case simply select the pages you need. But bear in mind that the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Self Assessment software doesn't yet supply all supplementary pages online. To check which pages different filing software offers read our related article.

If you complete a paper return

Check if you need any supplementary pages by answering questions one to nine on page TR 2 of the Tax Return. You can download any missing, notes and help sheets from the HMRC website, order them online or you can ring the Orderline on 0845 900 0404 and ask for the relevant pages, notes and helpsheets to be posted to you.

Step two - complete any relevant supplementary pages

Paperwork you'll need

For the relevant tax year (6 April to the following 5 April) you'll need:

Employment

  • payslips
  • details of expenses and benefits
  • P45 (if you've changed jobs)
  • P60 (summary of your payslips)
  • P11D ('benefits in kind')

Self-employment

  • records of income and expenses
  • full business accounts

Property

  • records of any rent you've received
  • details of expenses like mortgage interest or repairs

Capital gains

  • details of shares, investments, property and other assts you've disposed of or sold
  • contracts for purchases or sales of assets
  • invoices for any improvements to your assets
  • valuations or statements from brokers, agents etc

Other supplementary pages and guidance notes

If you need to complete any of the supplementary pages below, the related guidance notes tell you what records you'll need and how to complete the forms:

  • partnership (full and short)
  • foreign income
  • non-residence and domicile
  • trust and estate income

Step three - complete the core and additional information pages

You'll need paperwork for the relevant tax year as follows:

UK interest and dividends

  • bank and building society statements
  • interest certificates
  • taxable National Savings certificates
  • dividend vouchers or statements

UK pensions, annuities and benefits received

  • pensions and benefits statements on form P60

Other UK taxable income

  • statements and certificates
  • receipts
  • payment slips
  • details of life insurance gains or refunds
  • P60 or P45 for share scheme details and employment sums

Reliefs, allowances and student loan repayments

If you want to claim reliefs for retirement annuity and pension contributions and for costs like some maintenance payments or gifts to charity, you'll need records showing details of these payments.

If you are repaying a student loan and your income is over the threshold of £15,000, you can make payments through either Self Assesment or PAYE along with any tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

Contact and bank details

You'll also be asked for:

  • a phone number to enable your Tax Office to deal with simple queries quickly
  • bank details if you want any tax repaid directly to your account

What happens if you don't have exact figures?

In this case give an estimate instead. Explain why you don't have a final figure and say when you think you'll have it. Don't leave a box blank, or say 'details to follow', because your return will be returned to you for completion.

Deadline for sending in your return

Remember to sign and date the last page of your paper return once everything's filled in.

Send it back to your Tax Office by 31 October (30 December if you file online and want us, if possible, to collect any tax owed of less than £2000 through your tax code).

If you have problems completing your tax return

If you still have questions on either return, call the Self Assessment helpline on 0845 9000 444 (open 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, seven days a week).

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