Self assessment help

[Bakedpotatoandgin]

Hello,
I'm hoping someone on here can help me. I'm trying to do my self assessment tax return (yes, I know I've left it late!) for the first time, but it's confusing me. Basically, I don't run a business, I am a full time student, but in the last tax year I was contracted as a self-employed musician for a show that lasted a couple of months, and earned over the threshold for self assessment. I'm not intending to take any further employment in this way. The problem I'm having is that the self assessment form is set up as if I'm running a business. Apparently I should have been keeping accounts etc with a start and end date - as it was only one short job with no business set up/ costs etc (well unless you count the years of music lessons!) this didn't occur to me. Should I just put in the dates the job started and finished, as that was basically the extent of my business? Or do I need to retrospectively make accounts, with the only entry being the day I was paid?
Any guidance much appreciated, I'm very confused!

You don't need accounts. Just put in start and end dates and what you were paid. If you didn't incur any expenses you leave that box as zero. Make sure you are no longer registered as self employed.

Ah okay, thanks so much!

earned over the threshold for self assessment.

There is no earnings threshold for self assessment.

Why do you think you need to do a tax return?

You can just work as a sole trader, work out the tax due and send it with your tax reference and a letter if you prefer (bound to be a form for it but you can just send a letter).

Really don't get onto the treadmill of doing SA unless you absolutely have to!

@VanGoghsDog

earned over the threshold for self assessment.

There is no earnings threshold for self assessment.

Why do you think you need to do a tax return?

You can just work as a sole trader, work out the tax due and send it with your tax reference and a letter if you prefer (bound to be a form for it but you can just send a letter).

Really don't get onto the treadmill of doing SA unless you absolutely have to!

If OP is a student there won't be any tax to pay, unless short term musician is extremely well paid

Did you ask to complete a tax return or did HMRC tell you to?

If you received a notice to deliver a return you need to file it or you risk getting a penalty. How much did you earn OP?

Well I've filed the return now
I earned £1700, and was told by the others on the show that I had to do SA bc it was over £1200, so I did that. I had no idea I could do it with a letter, I'm not sure what a tax reference is either. I also had a normal employed part time job so that had to go down. I am aware I'm extremely clueless and probably sound like I shouldn't be allowed out let alone do proper adulty things like get a job and do tax!
Yes my bill is zero

OK, it looks like the limit is self employed is £1k pa actually:

www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns/who-must-send-a-tax-return

Being a student doesn't stop you owing tax if you're over the tax free allowance (which you're not of course).

My tax affairs are a bit more complex than yours and I still have tons of blank pages and boxes, so don't worry about them.

Oh well, at least I've got it in. Thanks so much for your help!
And yes, so many blank boxes

You can't just write a letter for your tax return and your tax reference is you UTR (unique tax reference) that HMRC give you when you register as self employed. In order to get that reference, you have to register, and that in turn triggers the need for a tax return to be filed.