Register as self-employed,in 20 minutes.

You register with HMRC by submitting form CWF1 online via Government Gateway, or by phone (0300 200 3500). You'll need: your full name, address, National Insurance number, the date you started self-employed work, a description of what you do, and an estimate of your expected income. HMRC issues a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) by post within ~10 working days. We handle this whole process as part of our £49 service, plus a 20-minute set-up call.

By 5 October following the end of the tax year you started self-employed activity. Example: if you started self-employed work in June 2025 (tax year 2025/26, which ended 5 April 2026), you must register by 5 October 2026. In practice, register immediately — your UTR arrives in ~10 working days and HMRC correspondence then routes correctly. Late registration triggers Failure to Notify penalties (up to 30% of the tax owed, sometimes higher).

No. The £1,000 trading allowance means you don't need to register or file Self Assessment if your total self-employed gross income is under £1,000 in a tax year. If it might cross £1,000, register anyway — you can always claim the allowance instead of expenses if it works out better.

Unique Taxpayer Reference — a 10-digit number HMRC issues when you register for Self Assessment. It identifies you in all HMRC dealings: Self Assessment, payments, agent authorisations, MTD. You keep the same UTR for life. HMRC issues it by post (not email) for security, usually within 10 working days.

Class 2 NI was £3.45/week for 2024/25, abolished as a flat-rate charge from 6 April 2024 but still accruing for state pension and benefits purposes for those with profits over the Small Profits Threshold (£6,725). Class 4 NI is 8% on profits between £12,570 and £50,270, and 2% above £50,270 (2024/25 rates). Both are calculated and paid via Self Assessment alongside income tax. We explain how this applies to your situation on the set-up call.

Not necessarily. You can trade under your own legal name (e.g. 'Sarah Khan'). If you want to use a different trading name (e.g. 'Khan Plumbing Services'), it doesn't need to be registered, but it must not be misleading (no 'limited', 'Ltd' etc.), and you must include your legal name and address on invoices and business documents. Some banks require evidence of a trading name to open a business account — we'll help you decide.

Rough guide: under £30,000 annual profit, sole trader is usually simpler and tax-equivalent or better. £30,000-£50,000, depends on dividend strategy — modelling helps. Over £50,000 profit, limited company is usually more tax-efficient AND offers liability protection. You can register as a sole trader now and switch to LTD later if your business grows — many do exactly that. We cover this on the set-up call.

Sales invoices and income records (every payment in), expense receipts (or digital records), bank statements, mileage logs if claiming vehicle expenses, a record of cash withdrawals/personal use. HMRC requires records kept for at least 5 years from the 31 January submission deadline (so for the 2025/26 tax year, until 31 January 2032). Under MTD ITSA from April 2026, in-scope sole traders must keep records digitally using MTD-compatible software.

MTD for Income Tax applies from 6 April 2026 to sole traders and landlords with qualifying gross income over £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year. Newly registered sole traders won't have a 2024/25 baseline, so HMRC will write to you when you cross thresholds. The threshold drops to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028 — so most growing sole traders will be in scope within a few years. Our set-up call covers exactly when MTD will apply to you and how to be ready.

Anything 'wholly and exclusively' for the business, from the day you started: tools, equipment, business mileage, professional subscriptions, accounting fees, software, marketing, training that maintains existing skills, home-office costs (apportioned), insurance, stock. Pre-trading expenses incurred up to 7 years before the business started can also be claimed in the first tax year — useful if you bought equipment before officially registering.

Very common. You're still required to register as self-employed and submit a Self Assessment annually. Your PAYE income is reported on the same Self Assessment alongside your self-employed profit. National Insurance treats them separately (you can't be double-charged on the same income), and HMRC handles the tax calculation across both. We cover the dual-income scenario on the set-up call.