Registration for self- assessment

Do you need to register for the 2024-25 tax year?

Have you started working for yourself or letting property? You may need to register
for Self-Assessment

If you became self-employed or started letting out a residential property during the
2024–25 tax year, you may need to register for Self-Assessment with HMRC. It is
important not to put this off. The registration deadline is 5 October 2025 and missing
it could result in financial penalties.

Many people assume that because they are paying tax under PAYE for their main job,
they do not need to register for anything else. But if you have additional untaxed
income, whether from a side business, self-employment, or letting out property, the
onus is on you to tell HMRC and file a Self-Assessment return.

Why you may need to register for Self-Assessment

You must register for Self-Assessment if any of the following apply to your circumstances
during the tax year 6 April 2024 to 5 April 2025:

• You became self-employed as a sole trader or freelance worker
• You earned more than £1,000 from self-employment (even if it was part time or
  occasional work)
• You received rental income from a residential or commercial property
• You became a partner in a business partnership
• You received income from abroad, dividends, savings interest, or capital gains that
  was not taxed at source
• You want to claim certain income tax reliefs, such as for pension contributions or
  trading losses

In short, if you received untaxed income or made gains not covered by PAYE, you may need
to file a Self-Assessment tax return – and to do that, you must first register with HMRC.

Key deadline: 5 October 2025

For the 2024–25 tax year, HMRC requires you to register for Self-Assessment by 5 October
2025. It is not enough to simply file the return by the usual 31 January deadline. If you fail to
register by October, HMRC may issue penalties for failure to notify, even if the tax is
eventually paid on time.

Penalties for late registration

If you do not register for Self-Assessment when required to do so, HMRC can charge a
failure to notify penalty. This is usually a percentage of the tax unpaid at the due date, and it
depends on whether the failure was deliberate or due to carelessness. Interest may also be
charged on any late payments. In some cases, penalties can be reduced or suspended, but
that depends on the facts and whether you took reasonable care.

Where to register

Registration is completed online using HMRC’s Self-Assessment portal at
www.gov.uk/register-for-self-assessment‍

If you are registering as self-employed, you will also need to set up a business tax account
and obtain a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). This UTR will be used to file your tax
return.

The process can take a few weeks, especially if HMRC needs to send you activation codes
or documents by post.

How we can help

If you are newly self-employed or have started receiving rental income, we can help you
through the Self-Assessment process from start to finish. This includes checking whether
registration is required, completing the online forms, and advising on the deadlines for filing
and payment.