First self assessment tax return

Mahsroh

dunroving wrote: »

I did a similar thing with mine, as this was my first year of self-assessment. I first printed off a blank basic form, and filled in tentative numbers and "notes to self", during a train journey down to Birmingham. Then I went online (I'd already got my UTR, etc.) and filled it in online and saved it. While filling it in, I learned a couple of other things I needed to look into (hence a few posts on here around that time!). After filling in I then printed off and read through with more "notes to self".

Overall, other than one thing I managed to get myself confused over, related to SIPP contributions, it wasn't that complicated, but did require me to put some time into it and also allowing time for things to settle in my head.

I think if there are lots of errors, it is probably due to (a) having a complicated tax situation, or (b) leaving things to the last minute and either not reading carefully or deliberately making "errors" because they lead to a favourable outcome.

I think the phrases "tax return" and "self assessment" sound daunting. When you actually look into it, and take time to understand it, it's really not that difficult.


As I said in another thread recently, I have to do a tax return due a rental property. When I sell that rental property I will continue to do a tax return for as long as I'm allowed. That way, I always know my personal tax account is correct and up to date.

Ja7188

On a general note, would HMRC ever refuse to allow an individual to complete a tax return if the individual wanted to do so purely by their own choice? Like Maseroh, I'm "in the system" and have no desire to get out of it as I prefer to know that all is in order and up-to-date...

Mahsroh

Ja7188 wrote: »

On a general note, would HMRC ever refuse to allow an individual to complete a tax return if the individual wanted to do so purely by their own choice? Like Maseroh, I'm "in the system" and have no desire to get out of it as I prefer to know that all is in order and up-to-date...

Simple answer is - I don't know. There was a thread on here the other day where asked about leaving the system and a few people replied saying you will continue to be sent a notice to complete a tax return until you write to the requesting otherwise, so hoping if I keep quiet, even once I don't "need" to do one anymore, they'll continue to let me.


However, if an individual who wasn't "in the system" and didn't have a specific requirement to be rang up and asked to do a tax return, I don't know what the answer would be!