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Tax return checklist

Written for the person who files once a year and forgets the whole process in between. Gather everything first; filing takes an hour once the papers are in front of you.

34 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Set up
  2. Log in and check the account still works, well before the deadline
  3. Find last year's return
  4. Note the filing and payment deadlines separatelyThey are different dates, and the payment one is the expensive one to miss.
  5. Check whether anything changed this year — new income, a move, a child
  6. Income
  7. Employment income and tax already deducted
  8. Self-employed invoices, all of them, reconciled to the bank
  9. Rental income and the associated costs
  10. Dividends and interest
  11. Capital gains — shares, crypto, a second property
  12. Pension income
  13. Benefits and grants
  14. Foreign income, and tax paid abroad
  15. Expenses and reliefs
  16. Business expenses, categorised
  17. Home-office proportion, with the basis written down
  18. Mileage or vehicle costs
  19. Equipment bought this year
  20. Professional fees, subscriptions and insurance
  21. Pension contributions
  22. Charitable donations
  23. Childcare costs, if they qualify
  24. Filing
  25. Enter everything, then read it back once
  26. Check the numbers against the bank total, not against memory
  27. Submit and save the confirmation
  28. Note the amount due and the date
  29. Set the payment up now, not on the deadline
  30. Afterwards
  31. Save the return and the calculation as PDFs
  32. Keep receipts and statements for at least six years
  33. Set aside tax as you earn it next year, in a separate account
  34. Diarise next year's deadline today

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

What do I need before filing a tax return?
Every source of income for the year, your deductible expenses with receipts, and last year's return to check nothing has silently disappeared.
How long should I keep the records?
At least six years if you are self-employed, and longer for anything relating to property. Keep them somewhere you would still find them after two house moves.