Being self-employed can mean all sorts of things: a full-time trade, a side business run around a day job, income from more than one activity, or a blend of employment, self-employment and investment income. Whatever shape yours takes, HMRC expects the whole lot reported accurately in one place. We make sense of the full picture, so you pay the right tax and nothing slips through the gaps.
Self-employment comes in more than one form
If you run a simple one-person trade, our page for sole traders covers the essentials, registering, claiming expenses and keeping records. This page is for the many people whose affairs have a few more moving parts, where several sources of income, or a recent change in circumstances, make the tax position harder to read.
We regularly help people who are:
- Self-employed alongside a job, earning a PAYE salary and running a business or taking freelance work on the side.
- Juggling several income streams, pulling together consultancy, rental income and dividends, for example, on a single return.
- Newly self-employed, having just left employment and unsure what to register for or how much to set aside.
- Earning from online platforms, taking income through apps and marketplaces that is still fully taxable.
How is mixed income taxed?
When your money comes from more than one place, the tricky part is rarely a single figure. It is making sure everything lands in the right box and the tax is worked out across the whole lot. Employment income already taxed under PAYE still has to be declared, because your total income decides which band your self-employed profit falls into. Add dividends, savings interest or rental profit and the sums get fiddly fast.
We bring it all onto one return, apply your allowances in the right order and check that you are neither underpaying nor handing HMRC more than you owe. If you have a side income and you are not sure how to treat it, it is far better to ask us early than to find a problem down the line.
What are payments on account?
Payments on account are the surprise that catches new clients out more than any other. Once your Self Assessment bill passes a set level, HMRC asks you to pay towards next year's tax in advance, in two instalments due on 31 January and 31 July. In your first year that can mean settling your first bill and half of the next one together, roughly a year and a half of tax in a single January.
Where we add value for self-employed clients
One clear return
We gather every income source into a single, accurate Self Assessment return.
Learn moreTax forecasting
We tell you what to set aside through the year, so January never lands as a nasty shock.
Advice when things change
Leaving a job, scaling up or adding a new income stream, we advise before the move, not after.
Allowances used in full
The trading allowance, your personal allowance and more, applied so you keep as much as you are entitled to.
Just gone self-employed? Start on the right footing
The months right after leaving employment are the best time to get organised. You will need to register for Self Assessment, decide whether to open a separate bank account, start keeping records and begin putting money aside for tax. The classic mistake is spending the full value of your early invoices and finding there is nothing left when the bill arrives. We set new clients up with a simple system and a realistic percentage to save, so the business covers its own tax from day one.
If your new venture is taking off quickly, it may be worth looking at whether a limited company structure suits you better, or talking to us about tax planning before the next tax year starts.
How we work with you
Map your income
We list every source of income and work out exactly what needs reporting and when.
Set a savings plan
You get a clear figure to put aside for tax, including any payments on account.
File and forecast
We file your return, confirm what to pay and look ahead to next year, so there are no surprises.