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How to register as self-employed with HMRC
If you’re earning money working for yourself, at some point you need to tell HMRC. It’s simpler than it sounds. Here’s when and how.
When do you need to register?
You need to register for Self Assessment as a sole trader if, in a tax year, you earned more than £1,000 from self-employment. That £1,000 is the trading allowance — earn under it and you generally don’t need to register or pay tax on it.
The deadline is 5 October after the end of the tax year in which you started. Don’t leave it to the last minute — registering earlier is painless.
How to register
- Go to GOV.UK and search “register for Self Assessment”.
- Create a Government Gateway account if you don’t have one.
- Register as self-employed (sole trader). You’ll give details like your business type and start date.
- HMRC sends you a UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) — keep it safe; you’ll need it every year.
That’s it. You’re registered.
What happens next
Once registered, you’ll file a Self Assessment tax return once a year (the online deadline is 31 January), declaring your income and expenses. You pay Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance on your profit — that’s income minus allowable expenses.
Which is exactly why tracking matters from day one: your tax bill is based on profit, and profit is only accurate if you’ve recorded what you earned and what you spent.
Make the yearly return a non-event
The people who dread January are the ones with a shoebox of receipts. The people who don’t are the ones who tracked as they went.
Sedonis keeps your income, expenses and profit in one private place all year, so filing is a matter of reading off the numbers — not reconstructing them. Free to start.
Deciding between structures? Read sole trader vs limited company.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Always check GOV.UK or an accountant for your circumstances.