How Do I Register as Self-Employed?

If you’re starting to earn money outside of regular employment, whether through freelancing, setting up a small business or earning additional income alongside a PAYE role, you may need to register as self-employed. This is how you inform HMRC that you are responsible for managing your own income tax and National Insurance on that self-employed income.

The process is fairly straightforward, but it’s important to get it right to avoid issues later on. This guide will take you through everything you need to do.

Who needs to register as self-employed?

You need to register as self-employed if you are earning income that is not taxed through PAYE.

This applies to sole traders, freelancers, contractors and anyone who regularly earns money independently, even if it is alongside a main job. Unless the income is taxed at source or falls under an extremely specific exemption, you are responsible for declaring it.

You must register if you earn more than £1,000 in a single tax year from self-employment. This is called the trading allowance. If you are working regularly, intend to make a profit, and the income is not part of your employment, then you will almost certainly need to register.

If you are unsure, it is safer to check than risk a penalty. As an aside, you may also need to register if you have received communication from HMRC that you must do so; even if you think an error has been made.

Examples:

• Someone who works full time and occasionally cuts lawns at the weekend for neighbours, earning £300 across the tax year, does not need to register as self-employed. Their income falls below the £1,000 trading allowance and they are not operating as a business.
• Someone who is employed part time at a newspaper and also earns around £3,000 a year from freelance photography would need to register. Even though they have a PAYE job, their self-employed income is above the threshold and must be declared through a tax return. The total tax they pay for a year is based on their income from both sources.

When to register

The deadline to register as self-employed is 5 October following the end of the tax year in which you began working for yourself. The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year. So, for example, if you started working for yourself in July 2024, you will need to register by 5 October 2025.

While that gives you some time, registering earlier allows you to get organised, start tracking your income and expenses properly, and avoid any last-minute issues.

What information you need

Before you start the registration process, make sure you have some key details ready. These include your full name, home address, National Insurance number, the date you started your self-employed work, and a brief description of what your business does. You will also need a contact email and phone number.

Having all this information in place will help you complete the process quickly and avoid delays.

How to register with HMRC

The easiest way to register is online through the HMRC website. You will need to create a Government Gateway account and choose the option to register for Self-Assessment and Class 2 National Insurance contributions. The form takes around 10 minutes to complete if you have everything ready.

You can also register by phoning HMRC or by post, but the online method is faster and gives you quicker access to your tax account. This account then allows you to file your tax return, view your Unique Taxpayer Reference number, and manage your details.

What happens after registering?

Once you register, HMRC will send you a Unique Taxpayer Reference, also known as a UTR. This is a 10-digit number used to identify you when submitting your tax return and communicating with HMRC. You will also start receiving reminders from HMRC when your tax return and payments are due.

While HMRC will send these prompts, it’s still your responsibility to file on time and keep proper records. Registering early gives you more time to stay organised and avoid mistakes.

Need help getting started?

If you’re unsure whether you need to register or want help to do it properly, we’re here to help. We support sole traders and new business owners from day one, making sure everything is set up correctly so you can focus on everything else.

Get in touch with one of the team today. Call us on 0330 059 6558 or email hello@scruttonbland.co.uk to get started.