It's 5 October: your last-minute Self Assessment checklist for new sole traders

Robin Leathley

Oct 5

2 min read

Today's the day. If you started working for yourself in the last tax year and haven't told HMRC yet, today, 5 October 2026, is the deadline to register for Self Assessment.

Whether you're a new plumber in Whaley Bridge, a dog walker in Poynton or a freelancer anywhere across the High Peak, Derbyshire or Cheshire, here's what to do before midnight.

Do you need to register today?

You need to register by today if you need to complete a tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year (6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026), and either:

you've never sent a Self Assessment tax return before, or
you were registered but didn't need to send one for 2024 to 2025.

As a sole trader, you need to register if you earned more than £1,000 from self-employment in that tax year. Not sure? HMRC's free online checker on GOV.UK will tell you in a couple of minutes.

Your deadline-day checklist

✅ Register for Self Assessment online now. Sign into your HMRC business tax account and add Self Assessment. It's free to do on GOV.UK. (There's a paper form, CWF1, if you can't register online, but posting it today won't be quick.)

✅ Watch out for your UTR. HMRC will send you a Unique Taxpayer Reference. Keep it safe. You'll also be able to see it in the HMRC app.

✅ Gather your records. Invoices, receipts and bank statements from your first year of trading. You'll need them for your return.

✅ Put 31 January 2027 in your diary. That's the online filing deadline for your 2025 to 2026 tax return.

✅ Check Making Tax Digital. Since 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 must use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. That drops to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028, so it's worth knowing where you stand.

Earned under £1,000?

You might not have to register, but it can still be worth it if you want to claim business expenses, pay National Insurance voluntarily or report a trading loss.

Reading this after today?

Don't panic, but don't put it off. HMRC says registering after 5 October could mean a penalty, so register as soon as you can. HMRC will then write to you confirming when your tax return is due.

Want it sorted today?

Leathley & Co is an AAT-licensed accountancy firm that has been helping sole traders and

small businesses across the High Peak, Derbyshire and Cheshire since 2002, from our offices in Whaley Bridge and Poynton.

We're accountants who actually pick up the phone, even on deadline day. Message us on WhatsApp or email enquiries@leathley.co and we'll help you get registered with HMRC and set up properly for the year ahead.