Quick Answer
Who Needs to File?If you earned more than £1,000 from self-employment during the 2025/26 tax year, you must file a Self Assessment tax return with HMRC. The deadline for online returns is 31 January 2027.Key Deadlines5 April 2026: End of the 2025/26 tax year31 October 2026:...
Key Information
- Last Updated:
- 24 Oct 2026
- Category:
- Tax Guides
- Reading Time:
- 1 min read
Who Needs to File?
If you earned more than £1,000 from self-employment during the 2025/26 tax year, you must file a Self Assessment tax return with HMRC. The deadline for online returns is 31 January 2027.
Key Deadlines
- 5 April 2026: End of the 2025/26 tax year
- 31 October 2026: Paper return deadline
- 31 January 2027: Online return deadline and payment due
What You Can Claim
You can deduct legitimate business expenses from your income before calculating your tax. This includes office costs, travel, phone bills, and professional subscriptions. Keep all receipts for at least 5 years.
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Just moved to Bristol and started freelancing. This guide is a lifesaver - cheers for breaking down the tax year deadlines!
I see that the threshold for filing is £1,000. Just wondering, what happens if I earn exactly £950? Do I still need to file?
Don't forget, if you're using the flat rate scheme for your business expenses, you can't claim individual items. Keep that in mind when you're filing!
Remember, only capital allowances on assets costing £15k+ can be deducted at 100% first year. Useful for planning ahead!
Brilliant guide, thanks! Just wondering, what happens if I started self-employment halfway through the tax year?
I found this guide particularly helpful as I'm starting my self-employment journey in Bristol. The clear deadlines and tips on what expenses to claim have really put me at ease.
Remember, you can claim mileage allowances instead of actual costs for business travel. HMRC rates are 45p/mile for cars in 2026/27.
I'm a bit confused by the £1k threshold. Does this mean if I earned £950, I wouldn't need to file?
Just moved to Bristol and started freelancing. Really useful to know about the 31 Jan deadline for filing my first Self Assessment return!
Just a heads-up, if you're claiming allowances for using your own vehicle for business, don't forget to keep mileage logs too. HMRC can ask for these at any time.
Just started my self-employment journey - when should I start keeping track of those receipts then?
I'm a bit confused about the £1,000 threshold for filing. Does this mean I don't need to file if my self-employment earnings are exactly £999?
Just started my self-employment journey this year - any tips on keeping track of expenses? I've heard about apps but not sure which one to choose!
I appreciate the comprehensive guide, but could you clarify if the £1,000 threshold applies only to profit after deducting business expenses?
I appreciate the guide, but is there any clarification on whether the £1,000 threshold applies to each business venture if someone runs multiple?
I'm unsure about the £1,000 threshold for needing to file. Has it always been this amount?
I must stress, keep meticulous records of your business expenses. HMRC may ask for evidence dating back up to 20 years.
Don't forget, if you're using accounting software, ensure it's updated to handle the 2025/26 tax year changes by HMRC.
Interesting article, but could you clarify if the £1,000 threshold for needing to file is per business or across all self-employment earnings?
I've found the breakdown of key deadlines particularly useful. A subtle reminder for 2027 returns - HMRC often closes late registrations by February.
Just started my self-employment journey - are there any tax calculator tools that can help me estimate how much to set aside for tax each month? Cheers!
Thanks for this, really helpful. As a self-employed builder in Bristol, I'm always worried about missing deadlines. Good to know the online return isn't until Jan 2027!
Just a heads-up, if you're claiming travel expenses, make sure to keep records of your journeys' distances and purposes for HMRC's spot-checks.
Brilliant guide! As a self-employed builder in Bristol, I'll make sure to keep my receipts for those travel expenses. Cheers!
I'm confused about the tax year dates. Is it April 2025 to March 2026, or April 2026 to March 2027 for the 31 Jan 2027 deadline?
Just got started with self-assessment this year. Cheers for the clear guide - any tips on claiming travel expenses while working from home?
I see you've mentioned that earning over £1K triggers Self Assessment. But what about those with profits under this threshold who still want to claim expenses?
Good to see HMRC's 2026 deadline remains consistent. Remember, if you're VAT registered, your tax year end could be earlier - check your VAT Return deadlines too.
I see the 31 Jan deadline for both filing and payment, but why is there still a paper return deadline in Oct? Seems a bit confusing.
Remember, if you're working from home, you can claim 25% of your household bills without receipts as business costs. It's worth noting this in your records.
Just moved to Bristol and starting my freelance journey. Great guide for us self-employed newbies! Cheers!
Just moved to Bristol and starting my own business. This guide is a lifesaver! Cheers for clarifying who needs to file and when.
I see you've mentioned £1,000 as the threshold for filing Self Assessment. But wasn't it recently increased to £1,250? Just wanted clarification on this detail.
Blimey, £1k's the magic number then. I was just under that last year, phew! Any tips on tracking expenses? Love a good spreadsheet hack!
Just started my self-employment journey last year. Really useful to know I can claim expenses now, even if it's just little things like printer ink!
I just crossed the £1k mark this year. Can I start claiming expenses now for next April's return?
Just a heads-up, if you're claiming Capital Allowances on plant & machinery, don't forget to include them as part of your allowable expenses. It could save you a tidy sum!
I appreciate the guide, but I'm confused about the tax year end. Isn't it 5 April? Or has that changed for Self Assessment?
As a self-employed graphic designer in Brighton, I'm glad to see clear info on 2026's tax year end. The deadline reminders are particularly handy!
Just started my self-employment journey last year. Any tips on what counts as a 'legitimate business expense'?
Just started my self-employment journey last year, so this is really helpful! Quick question though - if I've only earned around £800 so far, do I still need to file a return next year?
I'm just starting out as self-employed. Should I wait until April 2027 to submit my first return, even if I've earned over £1K by then?
I see you've mentioned that self-employment earnings over £1k trigger a Self Assessment. However, I recall HMRC previously considering changing this threshold to £800. Any idea if this is still in the pipeline for 2026?
I'd add that if your business involves buying stock, remember to calculate your taxable profit by deducting the closing value of your stock at year-end, rather than its cost price. HMRC's online calculator can help with this.