Documents you need to file Self Assessment
A clear checklist of what to gather before you start, organised by income type. Saves hours of chasing paperwork at the last minute.
In one sentence
The documents you need depend on your income types: payslips and P60 for employment, invoices for self employment, statements for rental, and dividend or interest certificates.
Quick answer
- Gather your UTR and Government Gateway login first
- Collect income evidence by source: PAYE, self employment, rental, dividends, interest
- Get expense and allowance records: receipts, mileage logs, pension statements
- Use a checklist template so nothing is missed
Steps
- 1Find your UTR and Government Gateway credentials
- 2Pull P60 and any P45 or P11D from your employer
- 3Export bank statements covering the tax year (6 April to 5 April)
- 4Collect invoices, receipts, and mileage logs for self employment
- 5Get rental statements and any letting agent reports
- 6Download dividend vouchers and savings interest certificates
- 7List pension contributions and Gift Aid donations
Personal details and login
- Your 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
- Your Government Gateway user ID and password
- Your National Insurance number
If you have lost your UTR you can find it in your HMRC online account or on previous Self Assessment correspondence. If you cannot access your Government Gateway, allow extra time to recover it before the deadline.
If you are employed (PAYE)
- P60 from your employer (end of tax year summary)
- P45 if you left a job during the year
- P11D for any taxable benefits (private health, company car, etc.)
- Payslips for the tax year (useful as a cross-check)
If you are self employed
- Sales invoices and total turnover for the year
- Business bank statements covering 6 April to 5 April
- Receipts and records of allowable business expenses
- Mileage logs if you claim vehicle costs
- Records of any business assets purchased (for capital allowances)
- Any subcontractor payments or CIS deductions
If you are a landlord
- Rental income statements (or your own records of rent received)
- Letting agent fees and statements
- Mortgage interest statements
- Repairs and maintenance receipts (not improvements — those are capital)
- Insurance, ground rent, service charges
- Council tax or utility bills you paid as the landlord
If you have investment income
- Dividend vouchers from each company
- Bank and building society interest certificates
- Capital gains records (purchase and sale dates and amounts) for any assets sold
For tax relief and deductions
- Personal pension contribution statements
- Gift Aid donation records
- Marriage Allowance details (if applicable)
- Student loan repayment information
- Any losses brought forward from previous years
How long to keep records
You must keep your records for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year if you are not self employed, or 5 years and 10 months if you are self employed or a landlord.
HMRC can open an enquiry into your tax return up to 12 months after you submit it (longer if they suspect deliberate underpayment), so good record keeping protects you.
Summary
- Gather your UTR and Government Gateway login first
- Collect income records for every source you have
- Keep expense receipts organised by category
- Use the downloadable checklist template to track what you have
Key terms
- P60
- End-of-year summary from your employer showing total pay and tax deducted. Issued by 31 May each year.
- P45
- Form you receive when you leave a job, showing pay and tax to the date you left.
- P11D
- Statement of taxable benefits in kind from your employer, such as private health insurance or a company car.
- Dividend voucher
- A statement from a company showing the amount of dividend paid to you. Required for declaring dividend income.
Need help with this?
Book a call and we will explain the next steps clearly.