A bit of help please, first tax return

shopaholicjules

Afternoon
I am trying to do my first ever online tax return.
I have a full-time job but have just started doing some consultancy work as an extra income and need to do a tax return.
I only started in March this year so only earned £559.75 for the tax year.
With it being such a small amount, can I put anything down and what could I claim for?
For this work I read reports/complaints, send emails, interview people in their home or place of work and then write a report at the end.
My mileage is paid at 40p per mile so I know I don't have to include that.

Any help appreciated, I just want to get it out of the way and pay what I owe them.

Thanks
Jules

roger_c

You can claim costs of anything else which relates to the work you are doing. Say telephone call costs, paper that you may print work out on, etc. It really depends on what expenses you are incurring and. As your earning are small, then you can enter your earnings (aka turnover) in one box and all expenses in another box, giving you the net taxable profit on the self-employment section of your return.

If you had no expenses to deduct and you were

a) a higher rate tax payer you would pay £224 in tax (£560 x 40%); or
b) a basic rate tax payer you would pay £112 in tax (£560 x 20%).

fengirl_2

If your clients are paying you 40p pm for travel, you need to include that in your turnover and then include a similar amount in your expenses. Your other expenses might include stationery and postage and you could also claim cpital allowances for your computer. If you keep accurate records of all your expnses as you go along, you will find your return much easier to do.

shopaholicjules

Hi
Thanks for you replies.
So regards my mileage, I had thought that by getting paid 40p per mile had meant that I didn't have to pay tax, are you saying I have to put my turnover as £618 which includes my mileage and then put the amount that was mileage as expenses?
I haven't really kept any receipts for anything, I am learning now that I need to.
My next return I will obviously have a years worth so it will come to more and I will make sure I keep records and receipts.
I am a basic rate tax payer so the figure for the amount I am going to pay is really helpful.
If I were to put £20 in to cover paper, pens, note books, electric and use of my computer, does that sound ok or is it better to leave it out? Will I have to prove that amount as I don't have receipts.

Thanks for your help and soz for all the questions.

Jules

shopaholicjules

Hi
Iv'e got to the bit where it says check your return.
On where it clarifies what you have put, it says I have told them I was not employed so it is saying what I owe them is zero. Where do I put my earning for my substansive post, does this have to be aincluded, I pay my tax and NI through my wage, I can see I'm going to get confused, well I already am.

Jules

roger_c

If you are employed you need to complete the 'employment section'.

It will ask you for the gross salary and tax deducted which will be shown on the form P60 which has to be provided by your employer by 19 May.

Oh and Fengirl is 100% correct about the mileage payments, I forgot about that!

mrkbrrws

To clarify, your Tax Return must be completed with all your taxable sources of income. Remember to include your employment as well as any other income (e.g. interest or dividends) you may receive.

The only income you leave out is any which is not taxable.

Including £20 in expenses to cover stationery, postage and use of home sounds reasonable to me.