Starting out on your own? We register you with HMRC, explain exactly what you need to do and by when, and set you up with simple records, so you begin with confidence instead of confusion.
Registering as Self-Employed
When you start working for yourself you must register with HMRC for Self Assessment, usually by 5 October following the end of the tax year in which you started, and you will pay Income Tax and National Insurance on your profits through an annual return. Getting registered on time, understanding your first deadlines, and keeping the right records from the start avoids penalties and stress later.
Your Tax Help Accountants registers you as self-employed, explains your Self Assessment and National Insurance obligations in plain English, sets you up with a simple way to record income and expenses, and tells you what to set aside for tax. When your first return is due, we prepare and file it, claiming everything you are entitled to.
The biggest early mistakes are registering late, which brings penalties, and keeping no records, which means missed expenses and a scramble at deadline. A proper setup from day one saves money and stress down the line.
The Detail That Matters
When you start working for yourself, you must register with HMRC and understand your new obligations: Self Assessment, National Insurance, and record-keeping. Getting set up properly from day one avoids penalties and a stressful first deadline.
You must register for Self Assessment by 5 October following the end of the tax year in which you started. Register late and penalties can follow. We handle the registration and confirm your Unique Taxpayer Reference.
You will file a Self Assessment each year and pay Income Tax and, through Class 4 and Class 2, National Insurance on your profits. Knowing what to set aside, roughly 20% to 30% of profit for many, stops the first bill being a shock.
Keeping a simple, consistent record of income and expenses from day one means nothing is missed and the first return is straightforward. Good records also maximise the expenses you can legitimately claim.
If your first bill exceeds £1,000, HMRC adds payments on account towards the next year, so your first January payment can be around 150% of the bill. We explain and plan for this so it does not catch you out.
New sole traders most often trip up by registering late (triggering penalties) or keeping no records, then scrambling at the deadline and missing expenses that would have cut the bill.
Key Figures
How We Help
We register you as self-employed with HMRC for Self Assessment and, where relevant, National Insurance, on time and correctly.
We set you up with an easy way to record income and expenses from the start, so nothing is missed and your first return is straightforward.
We tell you roughly how much of your income to put aside for tax and National Insurance, so your first bill never comes as a shock.
All the forms, calculations and correspondence handled on your behalf, so you never have to decode HMRC's rules or sit on hold.
A clear fixed fee quoted after a free call, your position explained in plain English, and never a surprise bill.
We act quickly, and where earlier years are involved we put those right too, reclaiming refunds or minimising penalties.
New sole traders often register late or keep poor records, leading to penalties, missed expenses and a stressful first deadline. Setting up properly from the start is the simplest way to avoid all of it, and we handle it for you.
Recent Client Outcome
Someone leaving employment to work for themselves was unsure how or when to register, or what to set aside.
What we did. We registered them for Self Assessment on time, explained their deadlines, National Insurance and payments on account, set up a simple records system, and told them what to reserve for tax.
The outcome. Their first year ran smoothly, every expense was captured, the first return was straightforward, and the January bill, including payments on account, came as no surprise.
A proper setup from day one avoided penalties and made the whole first year, and first deadline, painless.
Why People Come to Us
Questions Answered
Free fifteen-minute call. Fixed quote within twenty-four hours. Your return filed, every expense claimed, your bill explained, and salon VAT, payroll and accounts handled if you own a salon. Same accountant, start to finish.
Or email info@yourtaxhelp.co.uk, we typically respond within two business hours.
📅 Free consultation calls available weekdays 1pm to 3pm and 7pm to 8pm. Pick a slot that suits you.