Completing a tax return
Completing a tax return form must be one of the most intimidating things to do. This article summarises how to complete a UK tax return form and includes a step-by-step guide as well as great links!
If you have relatively straightforward tax affairs and already pay tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn) you probably won’t need to complete a tax return. But if you’re self-employed, a company director or have more complicated tax affairs you may needFilling in the short return
If you have straightforward tax affairs you may qualify for the simpler short tax return (if you do, this will be sent to you). At four pages long, the short tax return is quick and easy to complete. The accompanying help notes are also easy to follow.
The paperwork you’ll need in order to complete the short return is similar to that for the core pages of the full return. To find out more skip to the section ‘Step three - complete the core pages’.
Key steps for filling in the full tax return
The main tax return has ten core pages, plus extra pages tailored to your needs. If you get the full tax return you’ll need to:
- check you’ve got the right pages (if it’s a paper return)
- get together the paperwork you’ll need
- complete any supplementary pages that apply to you
- complete the core pages
- send the completed return to your Tax Office within the deadline
Step one - check you’ve got the right pages
If you file online
In this case simply select the pages you need. But bear in mind that the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Self Assessment software doesn't yet supply all supplementary pages online. To check which pages different filing software offers read our related article.
You must send in a paper return if your filing software doesn't offer the pages you need
If you complete a paper return
Check if you need any supplementary pages by answering questions one to nine. You can download any missing pages and help notes from the HMRC website, or order them online to be posted to you.
Alternatively you can contact your Tax Office or use the Self Assessment Orderline on 0845 9000 404 (open 8.00 am to 10.00 pm, seven days a week).
Step two - complete the supplementary pages
Paperwork you’ll need
For the relevant tax year (6 April to the following 5 April) you'll need:
Employment
- payslips
- details of expenses and benefits
- P45 (if you've changed jobs)
- P60 (summary of your payslips)
- P11D ('benefits in kind')
Self-employment
- records of income and expenditure if your annual turnover was below £15,000
- full business accounts if your turnover was £15,000 or above
Land and property
- records of any rent you've received
- details of expenses like mortgage interest or repairs
Capital gains
- details of assets, shares and other investments you've disposed of
- details of assets, shares and other investments you've sold
Other supplementary pages and guidance notes
If you need to complete any of the supplementary pages below, the related guidance notes tell you what records you'll need and how to complete the forms
- share schemes
- individual partnership
- foreign income
- non-residence
- trust income
Step three - complete the core pages
You'll need paperwork for the relevant tax year as follows:
UK savings and investments
- bank and building society statements
- interest certificates
- taxable National Savings certificates
- dividend vouchers or statements
UK pensions, annuities and benefits
- pensions and benefits statements on form P60
Life insurance gains and AVC refunds
- details of gains or refunds
Other taxable income
- statements
- receipts
- payment slips
Reliefs, allowances and student loan repayments
If you want to claim reliefs for retirement annuity and pension contributions and for costs like some maintenance payments or gifts to charity, you'll need records showing details of these payments.
You can also use your tax return to arrange student loan repayments.
Contact and bank details
You'll also be asked for:
- a phone number to enable your Tax Office to deal with simple queries quickly
- bank details if you want any tax repaid directly to your account
If you're claiming tax back and want to get the repayment directly instead of through your tax code, you'll have to tick Box 19.
What happens if you don’t have exact figures?
In this case give an estimate instead. Explain why you don’t have a final figure and say when you think you’ll have it. Don’t leave a box blank, or say 'details to follow', because your return will be returned to you for completion.
Deadline for sending in your return
Remember to sign and date the last page of your paper return once everything’s filled in.
Send it back to your Tax Office by 31 January – or by 30 September if you don’t want to calculate the tax yourself (30 December if you file online and want us, if possible, to collect any tax owed of less than £2000 through your tax code).
If you have problems completing your tax return
HMRC provides plain English guidance notes for every question in the both the short and the long tax return.
If you still have questions on either return, call the Self Assessment helpline on 0845 9000 444 (open 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, seven days a week).
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