Low income and Self Assessment

Flyonthewall

Hi.

I registered as self employed and did the tax return last year, but this year things have changed with the £1000 allowance.

My income was below the £1000. My assessment this year says, under check your return, I have told them I am not self employed. I haven't told them that at all, it's just because of clicking that I didn't earn over the £1000.

However, does this mean that they no longer consider me self employed, despite the fact I am working and things could change anytime, so once I've submitted this tax return I'd have to register again for self employment if things change?

Don't want to make any mistakes. It also feels wrong agreeing to not being self employed when I am, just with little income!

Is my only option agreeing I'm not self employed and re-registering in the future or am I missing something?

Thanks.

TheCyclingProgrammer

Did you select the option to fill out the self assessment pages? Or does it not give you that option?

Flyonthewall

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

Did you select the option to fill out the self assessment pages? Or does it not give you that option?

I went through:
1. Welcome
2. Tell us about you
3. Tailor your return
4. Fill in your return
5. Check your return

I had pages asking about if I had capital gains and things like that, asked for bank interest, over and under paying tax, if I had income from property etc. Nothing about self employed earnings other than the one question about if my income was over £1000.

At point 5 it states I've told them I'm not self employed. After that it's just 6. View your calculation, 7. Save your return and 8. Submit your return left.

sheramber

I went through:
1. Welcome
2. Tell us about you
3. Tailor your return
4. Fill in your return
5. Check your return

How did you tailor your return?

Dazed_and_confused

Looking at the notes for the paper return it looks as though you can complete Self Employment pages in this situation, to keep your period of self employment "live".

Page SESN 1 refers (Self Employment short pages).

Flyonthewall

sheramber wrote: »

I went through:
1. Welcome
2. Tell us about you
3. Tailor your return
4. Fill in your return
5. Check your return

How did you tailor your return?

First bit was about employment. Next bit was "Was your turnover £1,000 or more in total from all self-employments?"

Then it asks about Partnership, land and property, foreign income and capital gains. Which was no to everything.

Next page is about bank interest, benefits and pensions. The third and final page mentions pensions again, charity, spouses and tax relief/refunds/avoidance.

So no questions or mention at all on self employment and earnings other than one on the turnover of £1000. I assume if I'd answered yes it would ask me to give figures and perhaps have additional questions.

It appears to take no as not being self employed due to being under the allowance, but doesn't explain anything about it.

Flyonthewall

Dazed_and_confused wrote: »

Looking at the notes for the paper return it looks as though you can complete Self Employment pages in this situation, to keep your period of self employment "live".

Page SESN 1 refers (Self Employment short pages).

I can't find any online forms to fill in to keep self employment live, but perhaps I'm not quite searching the right thing.

Dazed_and_confused

Why not tailor your return to include the self employment page and see what options you then get.

You can always remove that part if ultimately it's not appropriate.

Flyonthewall

Dazed_and_confused wrote: »

Why not tailor your return to include the self employment page and see what options you then get.

You can always remove that part if ultimately it's not appropriate.

How do I do that? I answered the questions it has given me and can't see the option to fill out anything different.

Dazed_and_confused

When you get to "tailor your return" you tick to say you are self employed.

Then work through the self employment page and see what options you get as you complete it.

You can always delete it if it isn't appropriate.

Flyonthewall

Dazed_and_confused wrote: »

When you get to "tailor your return" you tick to say you are self employed.

Then work through the self employment page and see what options you get as you complete it.

You can always delete it if it isn't appropriate.

I don't have anything that says that. All I have is "Was your turnover £1,000 or more in total from all self-employments?"

It asks above that if I were an employee and below that question it asks if I were in a partnership, but it doesn't ask about self employment.

Edit: The tax return I did last year does ask that, but the form is different this year.