Self Employed Tax Return, do I need to complete Employment section?

the182guy

I'm in the process of completing my tax return, but I'm unsure whether to answer Yes or No to this question:

This section aims to ensure you only answer questions relevant to you.

In the tax year 6 April 2008 to 5 April 2009:



If you were an employee, director, office holder or agency worker, do you need to complete the employment section? Yes or No.

HMRC gives this help text:

Employee, director, office holder or agency worker If you were an employee, director ,office holder, agency worker or if you received payments or benefits from a former employer (excluding a pension) during the year ended 5 April 2009, and you need to complete the employment section, please select 'Yes' from the drop-menu otherwise, select 'No'.
An office holder is someone such as chairperson, secretary or treasurer of an organisation.

I was employed (paid tax PAYE) until Oct 2008, where I became self employed. So do I need to complete the employment section because I was employed during the tax year 08/09, even though I paid all tax PAYE and I have no outstanding tax or NI balance from earnings from that employment?

Thanks in advance.

Chinkle

If you were employed during that tax year then the answer is YES. Then fill in the details of income and tax paid according to your P45 or P60 from that employer.

suso

Yep complete this section, give details from your P45 and the tax that you have paid will count towards your bill for the year.

the182guy

Thanks Chinkle and suso for clearing that up.

PlutoinCapricorn

The online system is free-standing: it can't go off and find your PAYE details there and then. HMRC do have this information, but they want to get it from you to get the total income for the tax year on the return. PAYE often assumes that you will work for 12 months in the year, so if you stop in the middle you may have paid too much tax, and this is where it is found.