The 5 October 2026 deadline applies to people who need to complete a tax return for the 2025/26 tax year and have not filed a Self Assessment return before. It can also apply if you were registered previously but did not need to submit a return for the 2024/25 tax year. HMRC has recently updated its registration service to make the process quicker and easier.
It is important to remember that 5 October is the registration deadline, not the deadline for submitting your tax return. For the 2025/26 tax year, the deadline for filing an online Self Assessment return and paying any tax due is 31 January 2027. Paper returns have an earlier deadline of 31 October 2026.
For sole traders and other self-employed businesses across Ealing, Acton, Hammersmith, Chiswick, West Ealing, Hanwell and surrounding areas, this is a useful time to check whether you need to register and whether your accounts are up to date.
You will generally need to submit a tax return if, for example, you are self-employed and your gross income was more than £1,000 during the tax year. Other circumstances, including certain untaxed income, business partnerships and Capital Gains Tax liabilities, can also mean you need to file.
If you are unsure whether the 5 October deadline applies to you, it is worth checking your position rather than waiting until January. Once registered, HMRC will issue a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which you will need when completing your return.
At G&C Accounting, we help businesses across West London stay on top of Self Assessment, bookkeeping and tax deadlines, so you can spend less time worrying about your accounts and more time running your business.