Self Assessment can be a stressful time for sole traders. You've got piles of paperwork and endless admin, all while trying to find time to focus on your business. But with Sage software, Self Assessment doesn’t have to be difficult. You can get it sorted in 3 simple steps:
Track your transactions and snap and scan expenses on the go, in the way that suits you. Use your laptop, mobile, tablet, or our free mobile app.
Automatically sort your transactions into the correct categories with AI-powered automation—then just review.
Generate a completed SA103 Self Assessment form based on the data you've shared. Then simply copy and paste the totals into the SA103 Self Assessment form on the HMRC portal and submit.
From April 2026 if you have an income of over £50,000 annually, from self-employment, you'll need to use MTD-compatible software to:
Save time by creating a completed SA103 Self Assessment form. The software uses the information you share to:
Digital record-keeping allows you to track, store, and secure all your financial transactions in one place:
*Not available with Accounting Individual Free.
Save time and reduce errors with automated processes that simplify preparing for Self Assessment:
*Not available with Accounting Individual Free.
Monitor your income, track your expenses, and calculate tax with ease:
*Not available with Accounting Individual Free.
Access award-winning support with Sage at any time, anywhere:
*Not available with Accounting Individual Free.
Share access with your accountant so you can:
Get 6 months freeIf you're VAT-registered or have more complex needs, such as managing inventory or working with multiple currencies, see our full range of Sage Accounting plans.
You must submit your online Self Assessment tax return by 31 January for the previous tax year, and you must register by 5 October in your second year of operation. However, there are other key dates you should be aware of;
When? - What do I need to do?
For more information, and to learn more about which deadlines are applicable to you and your business, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns/deadlines
You need to send an Income Tax return if (in the last tax year) you (including, but not limited to):
Find out more about the latest guidance on who needs to send an Income Tax return.
If you're looking for Self Assessment software our plans have you covered:
Accounting Individual Free: If you’re just starting out and need to complete an Income Tax Self Assessment return, Individual Free offers basic functionality to help you keep records and complete a return.
Accounting Individual: If you are a non-VAT-registered sole trader and you want to send invoices to customers, take payments, and reduce time spent on record keeping, then Individual is right for you.
Accounting Start: If you are a VAT-registered sole trader and want to send invoices and complete VAT returns, then Accounting Start is exactly what you need.
To accurately fill in your Income Tax return, it’s important to keep records of:
To effectively keep track of key information in preparation of your Self Assessment, you can use software like Sage Accounting to centralise, digitise, and automate the capture of important data so that it’s easier and clearer to fill out your Income Tax return.
Sage Accounting helps you capture, categorise, and automate data for your Income Tax Self Assessment return in one place. Get ready for the 31 January deadline today by keeping digital records and optimising your self-employment income with Sage Accounting.
All our customers get 24/7 access to the following resources:
Get articles, insights, and tips to help with your preparations for Self Assessment from Sage Advice, our business blog.
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Access everything you need to help automate and streamline workflows, drive your practice forward and delight your clients with Sage for Accountants.
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