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Gathering everything up front makes a Self Assessment return much quicker to prepare, and reduces the chance of an estimate or omission coming back to catch you out later. Here’s what to have ready.
Personal details
- Your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and National Insurance number
- Your Government Gateway login for HMRC’s online service
- Bank details for any repayment due to you
- Details of any Marriage Allowance claim, if relevant
Records of income
- P60 and P45 forms for any employment during the year
- P11D details of any benefits in kind, such as a company car or health insurance
- Self-employment income – sales records, invoices raised, and bank statements for the business account
- Rental income and statements if you’re a landlord
- Dividend vouchers or statements from any limited company you’re a director or shareholder of
- Bank and savings interest certificates
- Pension income, including the State Pension
- Any foreign income
Details of expenses and reliefs
- Business expenses and receipts if you’re self-employed – including any use-of-home or business mileage claims
- Allowable expenses for rental properties, such as letting agent fees, repairs, insurance and mortgage interest (relief on interest works differently to other expenses, so keep this separate)
- Pension contributions you’ve made personally
- Gift Aid donations to charity
- Professional subscriptions or fees relevant to your work
- Student loan statements, if you have one
Anything else unusual from the year
- Details of anything you sold that might trigger Capital Gains Tax – a second property, shares, or other valuable assets
- Your previous year’s tax return or a note of any payments on account you’ve already made
- Any letters from HMRC received during the year that might be relevant
If you’re not sure whether something needs to be included, it’s better to mention it than leave it out – see our guide to Self Assessment for the deadlines and penalties that apply once everything’s gathered.
If you’d like help preparing your tax return or checking everything is in order, get in touch.
John is the founder of Summed Up Accountancy Services. He qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) in 2006, worked in practice and then in industry as a Head of Finance, and set up Summed Up in 2019 to give growing businesses and directors straightforward, jargon-free advice.