Self Assessment HMRC

kessleryup

Hi,

I registered for self-assessment with the HMRC for my freelance work. However, when registering I incorrectly put down that I started my 'business' on the start of June.

Now I have just discovered an invoice from 1st April that I had forgotten about for about 200 quid. So this is in fact the start date of my business.

So when I go to fill out my tax return, I am now contradicting myself by saying that I received money for my business on 1st April, yet I originally told them my business started in June, which they would have on record.

What would one do in this situation? :eek: Should I mention that I put in the wrong business start date in the comments section for the tax return and take any incoming penalty?

Thanks!

Notmyrealname

You need to inform them sooner than later. 1st April is actually in last years tax year so depending on the amount you could probably make a one off payment.

However playing devils advocate, for a one off £200 I think I'd quietly forget about it.

no-oneknowsme

My husband is a self employed taxi driver although he works from a depot.

When we initially registered (or I registered him should that be as he isnt great with paperwork lol) I put down the starting date of self employment as X Date.

He then received his bill for national insurance which we went ahead and paid.

A few weeks later it suddenly dawned on me that before his actual start date the owner of the depot had asked my Husband to come into the depot to do a "trial day" on which my Husband had been given a talk (if you could call it that) by the owner on what he expected from him etc and he had also given my Husband a few fares to pick up which meant that although it was only a "training day" my Husband had earned a few pounds from the couple of fares he had done. It was basically just so my Husband (and the depot owner) could get the feel of the job and ensure he was suited to it.

I paniced as I had already given HMRC my Husbands official start date but as Husband HAD earned money on this trial day I didnt want to NOT declare it correctly (it was much less than the £200 you have not declared)

I simply sent a letter (recorded delivery , keeping a copy) to HMRC explaining the circumstances and saying that I had inadvertantly given them a slightly incorrect businesss start date

A few weeks later they sent a letter back acknowleding my letter and they said that the business start date had been updated on their records.

We then also received a national insurance bill to cover the week between the trail day and the start date we had originally given them.

I would advise you to do the same. It keeps everything right with HMRC.

kessleryup

Thank you for the replies!

The only difference is in this case I will probably get a 100 pound fine, as it says that you must register for self-assessment within 3 months of the start date of your business. Because I have now revised mine back to April (rather than June), I guess I am up for that penalty.

Oh well, I guess that's the worst that will happen.

Notmyrealname

kessleryup wrote: »

Thank you for the replies!

The only difference is in this case I will probably get a 100 pound fine, as it says that you must register for self-assessment within 3 months of the start date of your business. Because I have now revised mine back to April (rather than June), I guess I am up for that penalty.

Oh well, I guess that's the worst that will happen.

You wouldn't get fined. Doing a single one off job for a few hundred quid in a tax year is not self employment or even being in business.