Questions and Answers
How do I register for self-assessment?
I need to let HMRC know about some property income I started to receive in the 2025/26 tax year. How do I do this?
Last updated 26 Feb 2026 | First published 23 May 2024
By Helen Wood, CA 1 min read
Self-Assessment Tax Returns
Self Employed
Start-ups
Landlords
What is the deadline to register for self-assessment?
If you do not usually send a tax return, but circumstances mean that you now do, you must register for self-assessment by 5th October after the tax year in which you received income that needs reporting.
If you started to receive property income between 6th April 2025 and 5th April 2026, you should notify HMRC by registering for self-assessment before 5th October 2026.
How do I register?
You should register for self-assessment on the GOV.UK website here.
To complete the registration process, you will need personal details including:
- Your full name
- Postal address
- Date of birth
- Telephone number
- Your UK National Insurance number.
What do I do if I cannot register online?
If you cannot register for self-assessment online, you can complete a paper SA1 form and send it to HMRC through the post.
The SA1 form can be competed online, or you can request the form in a different format by emailing [email protected] at HMRC.
Other reasons to register for self-assessment
If you need to register as self-employed, check out our content here.
If you need to pay the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge (HICBC), in the past you needed to register for self-assessment to report and pay the charge, but you can now pay the HICBC through PAYE if:
- You are employed and pay income tax through PAYE, and
- do not need to file a tax return for another reason.
You can check if you need to file a tax return for any other reason here.
Need some help?
If you need help registering for self-assessment, or you are not sure when or if you need to, give our team a call to arrange a free meeting. Call us on 01480 592 002 or use our online contact form and we will get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
The deadline for completing a self-assessment tax return is 31st January, when completing this online. If you want to submit a paper tax return, the deadline is 31st October.
There are lots of benefits to getting ahead with your tax return, to find out more visit our self-assessment pages.
Self-employed individuals, partners in business partnerships and landlords may be required to file a tax return. Those in receipt of child benefit and earning over £60,000 and those earning more than £10,000 in savings and investment income will need to complete a tax return too. For a comprehensive list check HMRC’s content on who must send a tax return.
If you earn at least £1,000 of trading income you may need to file a tax return. This will depend on what other income you are receive. Speak to an accountant, or use HMRC’s online checker to help you determine if you need to file a tax return.
Last updated 26 Feb 2026 | First published 23 May 2024
This article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayer’s circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take action as a result of reading this article, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.
Helen Wood, CA
Helen is a qualified chartered accountant (CA) and joined TaxAssist in 2025 following three years as a freelance content writer for clients in the tax and accounting publishing sector. Prior to this, She spent 17 years at Big Four and Top 10 accountancy firms. Helen writes clear and helpful articles on tax and accounting for businesses and individuals.
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