My self employed earnings are £0. Can I phone and tell them instead of filing a tax return?

[Hopefully]

I pay NI through PAYE in my normal employment, and I have no SE earnings at all this year. Do I still have to do an (online) tax return or can I just phone and tell them? Bet I have to do a return and fill out loads of 0s.

I only became Self employed again the last week in March last 08 and obviously didn't make a dot, but still have to do my tax return.

I did have earnings - only took about 15mins in the end though. I would do it to be safe.

My earnings have always been titchy (under the threashold to pay tax!), I've always filled one in. I can't see the point really but if it keeps them happy....

You have to do it unless you don't want to be self emplyed anymore.

Yep- there will be lots of 00's, and if in doubt put in 00, rather than leave it blank.

Do you have to declare your normal employment, though, or is that done for you by your employer?

If you are sent a tax return you need complete it (paper or online). If you don't, HMRC will eventually make a determination (i.e. guess how much they think you owe) and send you a bill for that - you would then have hassle to unwind that.

You must put all your income on the return (i.e. employment income should go on the employment pages). If you are no longer self-employed there is a box on the self-emplyed pages where you write in the date that you ceased to be self-employed. You would then need to re-register if you started up again.

Did you have any expenses? Are you going to make a loss?

fill in online.
leave blank unless it says otherwise - in some boxes putting 0 in isn't acceptable.

You have to keep doing SA until they tell you not to.

Yes, you will have to do it.

You will need to fill in all your PAYE details, and all your self employed stuff with zeros.

Then it will work out the total tax you owe for the year, and will deduct the total tax you have paid (by PAYE) and hopefully the balance should be zero!

This happened to me a few years back.

Pah, what a pain! I suspected I would have to. Better dig out the online log in stuff and get cracking with the £0s.

It really shouldn't take long. It is one of those jobs where the dreading is worse than the doing!!

I stupidly registered as self employed from 1st April 2008. Why I put that date I have absolutely no idea - I didn't do any freelance work until after 5th April.

Anyway have just filled in my tax return with lots of zeros (and my employment which stopped on 31st March) and found out I will get a little rebate, because of charity donations, so am quite glad I filled in my return .