Do I need an accountant for self assessment?
Can You Do a Self Assessment Tax Return Without an Accountant?
Yes, you can complete a self assessment tax return without an accountant – but it’s essential to understand the process and your responsibilities to avoid costly mistakes.
What Is Self Assessment?
Self assessment is HMRC’s method for individuals to report their income and pay any tax due. It’s typically required for people who are self-employed, earn untaxed income, or receive money from sources other than a regular PAYE job. While it’s perfectly legal – and often straightforward – to complete your own tax return, it’s important to know the rules and stay organised.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
If you plan to file your own tax return, you’ll need to keep accurate records of:
- All your income, including self-employed earnings, property income, dividends, and interest
- Business-related expenses and allowable deductions
- Invoices and receipts to support your claims
HMRC expects accurate and honest reporting, so keeping your records up to date throughout the year is vital.
How to Calculate Your Tax
When completing your return, you’ll add up all taxable income and subtract any allowable expenses. Your total taxable income determines which tax band you fall into and how much you’ll owe.
You may also be entitled to tax reliefs such as the marriage allowance or blind person’s allowance, depending on your circumstances. If you’re unsure which apply to you, it’s worth researching carefully – or seeking advice.
Filing Your Return
You can submit your self assessment tax return online through HMRC’s website or app. To do this, you’ll need a Government Gateway account. You’ll also need to provide:
- Your National Insurance number
- Your UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference)
- Details of income, expenses, and any tax already paid
- Bank details if a refund is due
Paper returns are still accepted but must be filed earlier than online ones.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Filing your own tax return can work well if you’re organised, but common pitfalls include:
- Missing deadlines (31 October for paper returns, 31 January for online)
- Failing to include all sources of income
- Claiming non-allowable expenses
- Using estimates instead of accurate figures
Errors can lead to HMRC penalties, interest charges, or delays – so double-check everything before you submit.
Do You Really Need an Accountant?
If your tax affairs are simple and you’re confident with forms and figures, there’s no reason you can’t file your own return. But if you have multiple income streams, capital gains, or complex deductions, working with an accountant could save you time, stress, and possibly money.
An accountant can help you:
- Maximise your allowances and reliefs
- Avoid errors or omissions
- Stay compliant with HMRC rules
- Plan ahead for future tax bills
Final Thoughts
You don’t need an accountant to complete a self assessment tax return – but if you’re unsure, professional advice is always a good investment. The key is staying informed, organised, and filing on time.
Our self assessment tax return is ideal for smaller business, sole traders, CIS workers, and individuals; our rapid online tax return service offers unbeatable value for money, with the assurance your return will be fully assessed by a qualified accountant to highlight ways you could save money.
We save our clients an average of £2,400, if we save you hundreds more, our price remains the same, from just £149 + VAT.
How It Works
Step 1 – Complete the simple self assessment tax return form below
Complete the simple application form below, without obligation, and one of our experienced tax advisers will be assigned to handle your tax return for you.
Step 2 – Provide Information
Your tax adviser will take the time to understand your particular situation, and request relevant information necessary to complete your self assessment tax return. We understand your time is valuable, and to make the process as easy as possible, we will request necessary information by email. We can of course be reached by telephone if you have any questions, or would be prefer to give information over the phone.
Step 3 – We complete and file
Once we have received all your information, your tax adviser will analyse your tax situation. When the analysis is complete we will contact you and let you know if you have a tax liability, any rebate you should could claim, and rebate information you may not have considered applicable to your situation previously.
We want you to save as much money as possible, providing excellent service at the best value, we know you will use our services year after year.
Simply complete this form, and see how much we can save you, today!
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Got questions? – We have the answers!
Please check our Frequently Asked Questions, and if you can’t find the answer there, please feel free to contact us.
Additional Services? – We have you covered!
Our no-frills from £149 +VAT self-assessment tax return does not of course include services beyond creating the tax calculation and submission to HMRC on your behalf. If you require additional services such as bookkeeping, completion of your self-assessment from bank account statements, contacting / appeals to HMRC, production of SA302’s for mortgage providers, or just can not provide accurate figures for your income and expenses? Don’t worry, we have you covered, for an additional arranged fee we can offer these services too! From just £25+VAT per hour, you will be delighted by how little it will cost to complete your return.
