# Do I need an accountant for self assessment?

Pick My Accountant (https://pickmyaccountant.co.uk/answers/do-i-need-an-accountant-for-self-assessment/): Do I need an accountant for self assessment? — Quick answer. Not necessarily. HMRC's online self assessment is free and manageable for simple affairs — one employment plus a bit of self-employment, say. An accountant (typically £150–£600 per return) earns their fee when you have multiple income sources, rental property, capital gains, foreign income, high earnings with pension complications, or you've received an HMRC enquiry.

## Key facts

- Filing deadline: 31 January online (31 October for paper), for the tax year ending the previous 5 April
- Typical accountant fee per return: £150–£600 depending on complexity
- £100 automatic penalty for late filing, even if you owe no tax
- Common triggers for needing a return: self-employment over £1,000, rental income, high-income child benefit charge, capital gains
- An accountant can file for you as an authorised agent — you still sign off the numbers

## When can I file Self Assessment myself?

Straightforward dividends within the allowance and simple reliefs sit in this bucket. Budget an evening, not an invoice. Making Tax Digital from April 2026 can still pull qualifying sole traders and landlords into quarterly software even if this year’s return was easy.

## When does a Self Assessment accountant earn the fee?

The expensive mistakes cluster around repair versus improvement, share pools, the 60-day property CGT deadline, and first-time payments on account every July. If any of those apply, a review usually recovers more than it costs.

## What does an accountant actually do on a tax return?

For contractors and landlords the fee is routinely recovered in one properly claimed relief. Send records by October or November — January rush fees are real and the £100 late-filing penalty is automatic even if you owe nothing.

## FAQs

**Q: How late can I leave it?**
A: Accountants get booked up from November onwards; many charge rush fees in January. Sending records by October or November gets the best rates and avoids the 31 January penalty risk.

**Q: What does an accountant need from me?**
A: Typically: your UTR number, P60/P45s, bank interest and dividend statements, income and expense records for self-employment or rentals, pension contributions, and Gift Aid donations.

**Q: Will Making Tax Digital change self assessment?**
A: Yes — from April 2026 the self-employed and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep digital records and file quarterly updates, with the threshold dropping to £30,000 in April 2027. Many people are appointing accountants ahead of that shift.

Updated: 2026-08-13

Source: https://pickmyaccountant.co.uk/answers/do-i-need-an-accountant-for-self-assessment/