Registered for self-employment - or did I?

bicyclist

I called the Future Pension Centre to ask about filling gaps in my National Insurance record (I am 5 years away from my state pension). They said the amounts to fill up my years seemed too much for someone who is self-employed. So I called HMRC, and they said I am NOT registered for self-employment on their system. I registered(?) for self-employment 12 years ago and have done my self-assessment every year since. I see now it is in fact possible to register for self-assessment without actually being self-employed. I can’t believe I made that mistake! I will write to HMRC as they advised to do, to look into the matter. I think most years I never broke the personal allowance threshold by much, if at all. What consequences are there if I did not in fact register as self-employed 12 years ago - only self-assessment? Thanks. 

Marcon

bicyclist said:

I called the Future Pension Centre to ask about filling gaps in my National Insurance record (I am 5 years away from my state pension). They said the amounts to fill up my years seemed too much for someone who is self-employed. So I called HMRC, and they said I am NOT registered for self-employment on their system. I registered(?) for self-employment 12 years ago and have done my self-assessment every year since. I see now it is in fact possible to register for self-assessment without actually being self-employed. I can’t believe I made that mistake! I will write to HMRC as they advised to do, to look into the matter. I think most years I never broke the personal allowance threshold by much, if at all. What consequences are there if I did not in fact register as self-employed 12 years ago - only self-assessment? Thanks. 

When you were filling in your self assessment tax return and doing the 'tailoring', did you tick the box asking if you were self employed during the year, which (assuming you were doing this online?) would have automatically added a page for you to complete.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Marcon said:

bicyclist said:

I called the Future Pension Centre to ask about filling gaps in my National Insurance record (I am 5 years away from my state pension). They said the amounts to fill up my years seemed too much for someone who is self-employed. So I called HMRC, and they said I am NOT registered for self-employment on their system. I registered(?) for self-employment 12 years ago and have done my self-assessment every year since. I see now it is in fact possible to register for self-assessment without actually being self-employed. I can’t believe I made that mistake! I will write to HMRC as they advised to do, to look into the matter. I think most years I never broke the personal allowance threshold by much, if at all. What consequences are there if I did not in fact register as self-employed 12 years ago - only self-assessment? Thanks. 

When you were filling in your self assessment tax return and doing the 'tailoring', did you tick the box asking if you were self employed during the year, which (assuming you were doing this online?) would have automatically added a page for you to complete.

True, but oddly from a National Insurance perspective that is not the same as being registered as self employed.

bicyclist

Marcon said:

bicyclist said:

I called the Future Pension Centre to ask about filling gaps in my National Insurance record (I am 5 years away from my state pension). They said the amounts to fill up my years seemed too much for someone who is self-employed. So I called HMRC, and they said I am NOT registered for self-employment on their system. I registered(?) for self-employment 12 years ago and have done my self-assessment every year since. I see now it is in fact possible to register for self-assessment without actually being self-employed. I can’t believe I made that mistake! I will write to HMRC as they advised to do, to look into the matter. I think most years I never broke the personal allowance threshold by much, if at all. What consequences are there if I did not in fact register as self-employed 12 years ago - only self-assessment? Thanks. 

When you were filling in your self assessment tax return and doing the 'tailoring', did you tick the box asking if you were self employed during the year, which (assuming you were doing this online?) would have automatically added a page for you to complete.

Yes, I certainly would have done (I don’t remember specifically doing that, but can be quite certain there’s no reason I wouldn’t have).

sheramber

There are two registrations. 

One for income tax and one for National Insurance contributions. 

If your taxable profit was below the  Small Profits Threshold  you needed to pay voluntary payments direct to the Contributions Agency. 

You can pay contributions for the previous  6 years so  can pay for the years from 2019/20 until 5 April 2026. 

Marcon

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Marcon said:

bicyclist said:

I called the Future Pension Centre to ask about filling gaps in my National Insurance record (I am 5 years away from my state pension). They said the amounts to fill up my years seemed too much for someone who is self-employed. So I called HMRC, and they said I am NOT registered for self-employment on their system. I registered(?) for self-employment 12 years ago and have done my self-assessment every year since. I see now it is in fact possible to register for self-assessment without actually being self-employed. I can’t believe I made that mistake! I will write to HMRC as they advised to do, to look into the matter. I think most years I never broke the personal allowance threshold by much, if at all. What consequences are there if I did not in fact register as self-employed 12 years ago - only self-assessment? Thanks. 

When you were filling in your self assessment tax return and doing the 'tailoring', did you tick the box asking if you were self employed during the year, which (assuming you were doing this online?) would have automatically added a page for you to complete.

True, but oddly from a National Insurance perspective that is not the same as being registered as self employed.

Indeed, but it gives a starting point for OP to argue that HMRC knew about it!