Do I need to do a tax return?

[purpleturtle]

I have a couple of very small part-time jobs, and am about to start some temporary sessional work, and it set me to wondering whether HMRC would be interested in me - despite the fact that my income for the last tax year was under £2000.

I've looked at the HMRC website, and can see that self-assessment is definitely the way to go if you are likely to need to pay tax. Do I need to contact them, even though I'm well inside my allowance?

I think you do, I run my own business and am also with the allowance to not have to pay tax, but I still had to register as self -employed and complete my tax return this year , for last year.

Best thing is to give the tax helpline a call and explain it all, they are very helpful.

I was hoping it wouldn't come to that! Oh well, it can go on the list for another day.

Thanks. (Still hopeful I can get away with not, as I'm not self-employed - just multiply employed!)

So you've got multiple employers? I'm assuming they are deducting tax off your salary then using the BR tax code? Except for one who's using a 647L (or similar) tax code?
Because if this is the case then you might actually be paying more tax than you're due and it's in your interest to contact HMRC and make sure you're not overpaying the tax.

I'm not paying any tax, though, as I'm below the personal allowance. So far, I'm on PAYE with one employer, and I haven't started the sessional stuff for someone else yet, so I'm not sure what they'll want to do. It still wouldn't put me anywhere near my allowance.

I've put it on my list - I'll ring them.

I understand that your total is below the personal allowance but your second employer wouldn't know that. What they usually do (unless HMRC tells them different) is put you on a BR tax code, which means they start deducting 20% off your salary. This is the amount you would have to claim back from HMRC if your total income for the year doesn't go above £6,475

Aha. Now I see. I'd better get myself in the system.

We had this situation with a Saturday girl. She worked at a local sandwich shop in the morning then for us in the afternoon earning less than the allowance.

She had to write to the tax office asking for pemission to split her tax code between us so that we didn't have to deduct basic rate.