Personal tax return

A personal tax return is how you report income that isn’t taxed automatically, like from freelancing, renting out property, or side gigs. It lets HMRC know what you earned, how much tax you owe (or if you’re due a refund), and helps make sure everything adds up.

Filing a personal tax return keeps your tax record straight and stress-free, and it’s your legal responsibility if you meet the criteria. Even if HMRC hasn’t contacted you directly, you may still need to submit one depending on how you earn your money.

When you need to file:

There are a few common reasons why you might need to file a personal tax return, like:

• If you’re employed and earn over £150,000 per year (until 2024/25)
• If you earned over £1,000 from self-employment
• If you made over £2,500 from renting out a property

Other reasons include receiving foreign income, claiming certain tax reliefs, earning dividends, or paying Capital Gains Tax.

If you need to file a tax return, the deadline is January 31st of the year following the tax year in which you earned that income. The UK tax year is from April 6th to April 5th.

For example, if you were self-employed between April 6, 2024, and April 5, 2025, you have until January 31, 2026, to file a tax return.

How to file your tax return

• Send a paper tax return to HMRC
• Go to HMRC’s website and submit one online yourself
• Have used a personal accountant to file for you
• Use a tax return service like TaxScouts (hello!)