Registering for Self Assessment is an important step if you would like to become a freelancer. You will register for Self Assessment to become self-employed and to get your UTR number. You also need to register for Self Assessment to complete your first tax return as a freelancer. To help you with this we have listed all the steps below:
1. Register for Self Assessment and Class 2/4 National Insurance through your business tax account. You’ll need a Government Gateway user ID and password to sign in. If you do not have a user ID for a business tax account, you’ll be able to create one.
2. You will receive a letter with your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number within 10 days (21 if you are abroad). You’ll need your UTR to file a return.
3. You will receive a reminder letter or email telling you to complete a Self Assessment tax return before it’s due.
Make sure to register for Self Assessment before the 5th of October in order to pay your tax return in time. If the deadline has passed at least make sure to do it before the first deadline of the tax return which is the 31st of January to avoid fines from the HMRC.
More information about registering for Self Assessment can be found here or you can watch this video on how to register for Self Assessment.
