Going self-employed: the complete leap checklist
Everything to sort when you go self-employed in the UK: registration, money habits, insurance, pension, pricing your work and the first-year traps to skip.
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Guides for people who work for themselves
Free, current, plain-English guides to self-employed tax, expenses, rates and Making Tax Digital — for freelancers, contractors and everyone in between.
Your first Self Assessment, minus the fear
First Self Assessment tax return? What you need, how the calculation works, every deadline and penalty, and the mistakes first-timers make — explained calmly.
Read guideFreelancer and contractor tax: the map of the whole landscape
How UK freelancers and contractors should think about tax in 2026/27: sole trader vs limited company, IR35 status in plain English, and what a day rate really nets.
Read guideExpenses and the home office: claim what's yours
What the self-employed can claim in 2026/27 — home office (flat rate vs actual cost), equipment, travel, subscriptions, phone — with worked examples and HMRC red flags.
Read guideMTD for the self-employed: the Making Tax Digital survival guide
MTD for Income Tax is live from April 2026. Which freelancers are in scope, the MTD thresholds, what quarterly updates involve, the penalty system, and a workflow that makes it painless.
Read guideThe self-employed tax calendar: every date that matters
A complete calendar of UK self-employed tax deadlines: registration, Self Assessment, payments on account, Making Tax Digital quarterly updates and VAT — with what each one is.
Read guideDo I need to register for VAT when I'm self-employed?
When self-employed people must register for VAT, the £90k threshold, voluntary registration and whether the Flat Rate Scheme is worth it. Plain-English UK guide.
Read guideCIS for self-employed subcontractors, in plain English
How the Construction Industry Scheme works for self-employed subbies: 20% vs 30% deductions, how to register, and how to reclaim overpaid tax through Self Assessment.
Read guideThe self-employed tax-deadline calendar
Every key tax date for the UK self-employed: registering for Self Assessment, the 31 Jan filing deadline, payments on account, and MTD for Income Tax from April 2026.
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