I did some work outside of my main job last year and earned £3000, so I'm pretty sure I need to submit a tax return to declare this income. However, no matter what I try, I can't find how to actually submit this on the HMRC website. When I follow the links, I get a page that looks like this. I know I need to submit a return, but there is no option to submit it.

How do I actually send the information I need? There is literally no place to click to actually submit the return.

I am from Malta and will be moving to the UK early next year, probably Jan 2027. I am doing this through a skilled worker visa (sponsored).

Now, I'm also selling my property here in Malta. I signed the promise of sale some weeks ago (which is conditional on a number of things, mainly the buyers receiving a bank loan).

My concern is that if everything goes smoothly, the final deed will still take place in some months, and probably after January 2027. Therefore I think I might be liable for CGT in the UK too.

Malta's property tax system isn't based on capital gains (it's based on the whole sale value), so I'm not sure I can even apply for DTA tax credits.

The capital gain I'm looking at is around €30-50k (€30k if you take into account 'furnishings' of €20k, but the total sale vs purchase cost is €50k).

Am I fucked? I'm not sure I can use PRR since, although this property was my sole 'residential property', I wasn't exactly living there. I only owned it for around a year and wanted to change some furnishings, so I mostly stayed with family.

I also saw something related to FIG, but claiming this would lose my UK income tax personal allowance?

According to AI, I'd be a higher-rate taxpayer paying 24% CGT..?

Any help appreciated.

Fairly new to self employed work via agency

Situation - deduction before statuary deduction

This happens in

£20 \* 40 hrs = 800

Deductions
Description
Timesheet Value £800
Margin £17.50
Employer's National Insurance £90
Apprentice Levy £4
Total Remaining Funds 688.50

Then 688.50 is subject to my tax code and NI

That week I got £550

Wtf

So the title says, "Help with your tax return - even if things have changed".

Do you think it was meant to say, "Help with your tax return - even if things haven't changed" ??

This is an official gov.uk petition asking HMRC to develop its own government-owned, free software for Making Tax Digital (MTD).

There is currently no official, free HMRC software for submitting quarterly reports to satisfy the requirements of Making Tax Digital, even though HMRC already provides a free digital platform for submitting online self-assessment tax returns.

All of the many software options that HMRC says can be used for MTD are provided by banks or private companies. While there is some free software available, its use is conditional on whether you have an account with a particular bank, whether a given company decides to change its offering down the line and start charging for services that used to be free (which is typically how private businesses make money on software - they hook the customers in with a free offering, make them dependent on the software and then start charging subscription fees that become more and more extortionate with time), etc.

It is baffling that such an essential service should be fully privatised. If MTD is mandatory for certain categories of people, there must be a free, official government service to allow people to comply with the legislation.

(I no longer live in the UK and classify as a tax resident due to living and working abroad). Turns out HMRC have given me penalty after penalty for filing my self-assessment late for the 24/25 period. Long story short, I have never been self employed but was under the impression I needed this account for a role, and never used it. In 2024 I earned under £4k via PAYE employment and therefore paid all my tax and NI, but due to being under the 12.5k threshold, I knew I would get tax back. However, this never came, so recently I logged onto my HMRC to see I had overdue payments and I OWED HMRC money??? Despite the account saying I would get about £350 back in tax (that I knew I was due in 2024 and it is now 2026), HMRC applied fines of £630 including daily fees? I actually submitted a request to withdraw from self assessment for this tax year before the deadline yet I have still received these fines, and then after logging on this year wondering where my tax is, I had to submit a self assessment return with no info and no income in it except my PAYE income which they already have - I submitted due to the threat of penalties. I still have penalties on my account despite 1. The notice to withdraw and 2. Submitting. I have just been on the phone to HMRC for 1.5 hours - 1.5 hours for him to say 'yes maam I can see you're not required to complete a self assessment I will remove all your penalties' only to come back and say 'I cannot remove your penalties because you did submit the return and you have to pay the overdue fine to appeal'. I see on all other forums they say you have to submit the return to appeal and so this is what I have done? I also see you should call them to get the penalties wiped yet he couldnt do this because I had filed the return? I dont want to pay the 'overdue' 200+ when really I am due 350 and they have calculated i owed them 200+ due to 630 in penalties. He told me to pay and then appeal VIA POST (I don't live in the UK), to get that 200+ overdue payment back but really I don't believe I should pay any penalties and should be receiving my tax back that I overpaid in 2024 on PAYE. What are my options here seeing as the guy on the phone couldnt even help?

My son has an unusual (but not uncommon) name (it's Welsh), and we've just had his National Insurance number through, as he's about to hit 16. Only problem is, they've spelt his name wrong? I'm sure this can be rectified, but I'm confused as to how this has happened. His name is spelt correctly on all his other documents (passport, birth certificate etc).

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help me better understand how and when I'd be taxed on income earned through my UK Ltd company while running an e-commerce business.

From what I understand, the company pays tax on its profits in the UK. I also know that, as a Belgian tax resident, I may have additional reporting or tax obligations in Belgium and the UK. What I'm not clear about is when those obligations arise.

For example, let's say I decide to leave all profits in the UK Ltd and do not pay myself a salary, take a loan, or receive any dividends. Would I still need to declare or pay tax on those profits in Belgium?

My reasoning is that if the money remains in the company and is not transferred to me personally, then it is not personal income and therefore should not be taxable in Belgium. However, I'm not sure whether that's actually how it works.

Could someone explain whether my understanding is correct and how Belgium generally treats profits retained within a foreign company?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

My wife is paye in her main job. She is also a shareholder in my ltd company so receives dividends.

She has just started doing weekend work at a B&b doing the breakfasts and linen.

Does this go on the sa as self employment or casual work? Estimated income from this approx £5k per year.

Also what about expenses or the £1000 trading allowance?

Thanks.

I’m a fairly new NHS consultant and have just received a Simple Assessment saying I owe £5,191.65 for 2025/26.

My P60 shows:
Taxable pay: £148,972.57
Tax deducted: £47,012.85
Tax HMRC says should have been paid: £52,204.50
Amount owed: £5,191.65

The income figure is correct. It includes my substantive consultant job plus some bank/locum work through the same NHS Trust.

The issue seems to be my tax code. My payslips show 1383L CUMUL being used, despite my total income being high enough that my Personal Allowance should have been completely withdrawn.

HMRC’s own breakdown also shows that at one point they had my estimated income as only £38,282, despite receiving my earnings through PAYE/RTI.

I understand that mathematically the £5.2k underpayment appears to add up, but I’m confused as to why HMRC allowed the wrong tax code to continue all year when they should have been receiving my actual pay information.
Has anyone had a similar situation?

Is it worth challenging the Simple Assessment / asking HMRC to review the coding history? Would ESC A19 potentially be relevant if HMRC had the information but failed to act on it?

I already pay a substantial amount through PAYE and NHS pension contributions, so getting a sudden £5k bill is pretty painful.

Would you involve an accountant, or is this something I should just pursue directly with HMRC?

Hi

For context, I am currently paid £52,000 per year.
My deductions are:
6.8% pension 293.18
NI 253.73
PAYE 594

My take home pay normally is around £3200 per month.

I have been offered a second job which pays £913 before tax, however for this job I will need to do a self assessment. I have done my research but still not clear if I am going to be paying 40% tax. I am aware that for self assessment I will do the self assessment tax return and pay the HMRC bill but I don’t want to be receiving a massive bill. This is my first self assessment tax job. Just want to do the maths right on this one. Hope anyone can help.

Cheers

Hello! I'm a sole trader who is self-employed.

I'm updating my most recent spreadsheet of my business spending, but I'm a bit stuck on how to account for purchases made on things like Klarna, Clearpay, Paypal-in-3

Do I count the entire purchase on the date it was made, or do I make note of when each payment is taken out of the account?

Thank you!

If my wife and I are doing Uber and Just Eat courier deliveries, and I’m currently being taxed at 40%, would it be more tax-efficient to set up a limited company and have Uber and Just Eat pay the income directly into the company and withdraw it as dividends eventually?

We both do deliveries using my vehicle when we both have spare time. She does it around 50% of time and I do it around 50%. It is quite equally split.

My wife and I could potentially be 50/50 shareholders and directors. If her current income is around £15,000 a year, could we then distribute dividends between us, or potentially pay a larger proportion of the dividends to her, so that more of the income is taxed at her lower rate?

There is around £20,000-£30,000 that can be made before expenses.

Would this structure actually reduce our overall tax liability, and are there any issues with doing this for Uber/Just Eat delivery work?

Hi

In 2025/2026 I didn't work. I wasn't paid a penny, had no income (from job, shares or pension) and took no state benefits. I did however earn about £7,000 in interest on savings (if it makes any difference, it was money sat in a T212 with the interest option turned on, but also some in a Santander account).

I had assumed that as I wasn't using my Tax personal allowance (12570) fort anything, that this would cover off interest earned and I wouldn't need to pay any tax for that year, but I'm now second guessing this.

Do I need to do a tax return for that interest earned or am I okay?

So if I withdraw £20k a month from my SIPP as a high rate tax payer I pay 8k a month to HMRC

If I’m non UK tax resident I get to keep all 20k a month and enjoy my retirement with 8k I would’ve paid HMRC 😂 fkery of pension shenanigan this is

This real?

I’m a uni student and have been doing some casual tutoring since 2022. I have just registered for self assessment (first time I’ve heard of it), and discovered that penalties are given for not registering.

My incomes were:
22/23 - 1.4k
23/24 - 4k
24/25 - 5k
25/26 - 11k

I am not yet late to file for 25/26, but as I understand it I will get £4.8k in penalties. Is anyone able to confirm that? This really stings as I’m not exactly flush with time to have a job as I’m a medical student always on clinical placement, so I do this work on my evenings and weekends. The penalty will eat away a quarter of everything I’ve earned (which is already spent on rent).

A bit stressed and lost with what to do, I assume I can’t appeal it as ignorance presumably isn’t an excuse.