Self Assessment,reviewed and filed.

UK accountants typically charge £150-£350 for a basic Self Assessment. Limited company directors usually pay £250-£400. Complex returns with multiple rental properties, foreign income or significant capital gains can reach £400-£600. Our standard price is £99 flat — substantially below the typical UK market range, while still being prepared and reviewed by a chartered accountant.

You generally need to file if any of these apply: you're self-employed with income over £1,000; you're a partner in a partnership; you receive rental income; you earn over £100,000; you receive untaxed income over £2,500 (dividends, savings interest, foreign income); you've sold assets liable to Capital Gains Tax; you're a company director receiving dividends; you have child benefit and your or your partner's income is over £60,000 (the High Income Child Benefit Charge). If you're unsure, ask us or use HMRC's online checker — it's free.

31 January following the end of the tax year, for both the online filing and the balancing payment. For the 2025/26 tax year (which ended 5 April 2026), the deadline is 31 January 2027. Paper returns are due 31 October 2026. Payments on account (where applicable) are due 31 January and 31 July. We recommend submitting by mid-January at the latest to avoid HMRC system congestion.

HMRC charges an automatic £100 penalty the day after the deadline (even if no tax is owed). Then £10/day after 3 months (up to £900). Then £300 (or 5% of tax owed, whichever is greater) at 6 and 12 months. Plus daily interest on unpaid tax at 7.75% (2026 rate). The penalty system is harsh — we have never missed a deadline for a client.

Self-employment: anything 'wholly and exclusively' for business — office costs, mileage (45p/mile first 10,000 miles), professional subscriptions, accountancy fees, software, equipment, marketing, working-from-home claim (£6/week flat or apportioned actuals). Property: agent fees, repairs (not improvements), mortgage interest tax credit, insurance, utilities you pay. PAYE side: union/professional body fees, work-related travel beyond normal commute, work clothing for specific industries. We check every relief available for your situation as standard.

Yes — HMRC's online filing is free. You'd save £99 by doing it yourself. The question is whether an accountant's review catches reliefs or errors worth more than that. In our experience, yes — almost always. Common DIY misses: underclaimed mileage, missed pension tax relief, incorrect dividend reporting, payments-on-account miscalculations, allowable home-office costs. Even one of these typically exceeds £99.

If your qualifying gross income is over £50,000 (sole trader and/or landlord, combined), MTD ITSA applies from 6 April 2026. You replace the annual Self Assessment with four quarterly updates plus a Final Declaration. For everyone else (under £50k income, or income from sources outside MTD scope like PAYE/dividends/capital gains only), Self Assessment continues as normal. See our MTD ITSA service for the quarterly-update workflow.

Tax is payable by 31 January following the tax year-end, same deadline as the filing. So for 2025/26, both the return and the tax payment are due 31 January 2027. You can file earlier (any time from 6 April) but pay later — many clients file in November/December but only pay by 31 January. If you owe over £1,000, HMRC typically also requires 'payments on account' for the following year, due 31 January and 31 July.

An advance payment toward next year's tax liability. If your previous Self Assessment tax bill was over £1,000 (and less than 80% of it was already collected via PAYE), HMRC takes two payments on account: 50% each on 31 January and 31 July. Then any balancing amount on the following 31 January. This catches a lot of newly-self-employed people out — your first Self Assessment can effectively trigger 1.5x of tax due in January. We always flag this in advance.

Yes. We handle late-filing catch-up returns regularly. Each year is £99 (standard price); we can sometimes negotiate HMRC penalty mitigation if you have a reasonable excuse. Talk to us — the longer it's left, the more penalties accumulate, but it's almost always better to come forward than wait for HMRC to find you (Failure to Notify penalties can hit 30-70% of the tax owed).

Yes — Ailo Accounting is regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Every Self Assessment is reviewed by a chartered accountant before filing. We carry professional indemnity insurance and are AML-supervised by ICAEW.