Your first self assessment,
done properly

New to self-employment, a side income or rental property? We register you, prepare the return and file it, with every allowance claimed.

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Your first tax year, date by date

The self assessment calendar never moves. Here is the whole journey.

6 April

The tax year starts

Everything you earn from today belongs to this return. Good records now make January painless.

5 October

Registration deadline

You must register with HMRC by 5 October after the end of your first tax year. We do this for you and secure your UTR number.

November

We prepare your return

You complete a simple checklist, we prepare the return, claim every allowance, and explain your bill in plain English. No January panic.

31 January

Filing and payment

Return filed and tax paid, weeks after you stopped thinking about it. If payments on account apply, you knew months ago.

31 July

Second payment on account

The one that surprises first-timers. We forecast it at filing time, or you can estimate it yourself with our payments on account forecaster, so it never ambushes you.

First-timer numbers worth knowing

0Trading allowance: earn above this and HMRC expects a return
0Instant penalty for filing even one day late, see our late filing penalty calculator
0Our sole trader plan: return, advice and support all year

First returns are where money gets left behind

Doing your first return alone usually means one of two mistakes: missing allowable expenses you did not know existed, or claiming things you should not and inviting an enquiry.

  • HMRC registration and UTR number sorted for you
  • Every allowable expense and relief reviewed and claimed
  • Your tax bill explained before anything is filed
  • Payments on account demystified so the second bill is no shock

How it works

1 checklistYou gather what our simple list asks for. That is your whole job.
Same dayResponse guarantee on every question along the way
24 hoursTo a fixed written quote after your free call

First-timer questions, answered

More questions? See our full FAQ for answers on self assessment and tax.

Do I even need to file a self assessment?

You generally must file if you are self-employed earning over £1,000, receive rental income, have significant untaxed income, or HMRC has asked you to. If you are unsure, ask us: it is a two-minute answer. Our self assessment service covers all of these situations.

What records do I need to keep?

Income records, business expenses, and any relevant statements: bank, platform or letting agent. Do not worry about the format. Our checklist tells you exactly what to gather.

Will HMRC ask me to prepay next year's tax as a first-time filer?

Once your bill passes £1,000, HMRC asks you to prepay half of next year’s estimated tax twice a year. It surprises almost every first-timer. We forecast it so you can plan.

I missed the registration deadline. Now what?

Register and file as soon as possible. Penalties for late registration are rare if the tax gets paid on time. We can register you and, if needed, appeal anything unfair.

No January panic this year

Book a free call and have your first return handled by people who do this every day.