Most people in the UK do not need to file a tax return because they pay tax at source.

However, there are a few situations when you do need to file a personal tax return (also called a “Self Assessment”).

1. If you have any untaxed income

• if you’re self-employed and earned more than £1,000
• if you have rental income over £2,500
• if you made over £12,000 in profit from investments – usually property or stocks; gains from shares in an ISA don’t count. However starting from April 2020, you’ll have to use HMRC’s Real Time Capital Gains Tax Service if you sell property – instead of filing a tax return
• if you received more than £10,000 from savings interest – also not from savings within a cash ISA
• if you received more than £10,000 from dividends – also not from a stocks & shares ISA
• if you have foreign income
• or if you have any other sort of untaxed income bigger than £2,500.

2. If you want to claim a tax refund

• if you work in the construction industry through the CIS scheme
• if you’ve made investments in SEIS or EIS eligible startups or VCT funds
• if you’ve made donations to charity
• if you’ve made private pension contributions as a higher rate taxpayer
• or if you had work expenses over £2,500.

3. If HMRC tells you to submit one

• if you received a P800 form
• or if you received a notice to file a tax return.

4. If you need to qualify for benefits

• if you need to prove you’re self-employed to claim Maternity Allowance or Tax-Free Childcare
• or if you want to make voluntary Class 2 National Insurance contributions and qualify for benefits.

5. Other situations

• if your income is over £100,000 – doesn’t matter if you already paid tax via PAYE
• if you live abroad and had income from the UK
• if you claimed Child Benefit and your or your partner’s income was over £50,000
• if you’re in a partnership
• if you are a minister of any religion
• if you are a trustee
• if you’re a “name” at the Lloyd’s of London.

I’m a director of a limited company – do I still need to file a personal tax return?

Only if you paid yourself dividends over £10,000.

Otherwise, not anymore.

You still need to make sure that your company submits a corporate tax return, however.