Do I Need to Register as Self-Employed in the UK? (And Other Questions You’ve Googled at Midnight)
Let’s Be Honest: Is This You?
You’ve got a side hustle that’s actually making money (yes queen 💅), or maybe you’ve just landed your first freelance client and your heart is racing with equal parts “omg I did it!” and “am I accidentally committing tax fraud?”
Babe, you’re not alone.
Every woman I know who’s started her own thing has had at least one late-night spiral on HMRC’s website, convinced she’s missed something crucial and is about to get a scary letter through the post.
Let’s clear this up together, shall we?
What Does “Self-Employed” Even Mean?
In UK speak, you’re self-employed if you run your own business and you’re not on someone else’s payroll.
You might be calling yourself a freelancer, consultant, VA, Etsy seller, coach, or “just seeing how it goes”…but if money’s coming in and it’s not through PAYE, HMRC wants a heads-up.
You’re probably self-employed if:
You pick the work you do and when you do it
You invoice clients directly
You’re responsible for your own taxes and expenses
Yes, even if you’re still working part-time, full-time, or in-between.
Who Actually Needs to Register?
Let’s keep it simple:
🧾 If you earn more than £1,000 in a tax year (April to April) from self-employment—you need to register.
Real life examples:
Laura: Signed her first consultancy client. ✅ Time to register.
Jade: Etsy shop made £1,200 last year. ✅ Time to register.
Emily: Freelanced once, got £800. ❌ Not yet—but keep an eye.
Alex: Coaching on the side while still employed. ✅ If it’s over £1k, it counts.
💡 If you’re under £1,000, you don’t have to register—but you can if you want to claim expenses or start building a legit business track record.
When & How to Register (Spoiler: It’s Not That Scary)
When?
You’ve got until 5 October after the end of the tax year you started trading.
Example: You started your biz in June 2025 → register by 5 October 2026.
How?
Go to the HMRC website
Create a Government Gateway account
Fill in a few details about yourself and your business
Wait for your UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) in the post
🎉 Boom…you’re official. No dragons, no trick questions, no scary calls.
Myths, Misconceptions & Mild Panics—Debunked
Let’s talk about the stuff that keeps you up at night:
❌ “I need a website and a business plan to register.”
Nope. You just need to be making money.
❌ “I’ll mess it up and get in trouble.”
HMRC is actually pretty chill if you’re honest and fix stuff quickly.
❌ “I’ll have to pay loads of tax right away.”
Not true. You only pay tax on profits…and only after you file your return. (P.S. You can claim so many things as expenses. Rachael can help you with that.)
❌ “If I register late, I’ll get arrested.”
There can be fines, but sort it ASAP and it’s usually just a “hey, don’t do that again” situation.
But What If You Don’t Register?
Well... technically you could get fined. But also, you’ll be missing out on:
✨ Claiming legit business expenses
🧾 Creating a paper trail for mortgages or future funding
💼 Feeling like a proper businesswoman (because you ARE)
TL;DR: What You Need to Know
Earned more than £1k from your own thing? ✅ Register.
Need to register by 5 October after that tax year.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
It’s easier than it sounds—and you can always get help.
Still Feeling a Bit Wobbly?
Honestly, you're not alone. Self-employment can feel like a language no one taught us at school, and Google can leave you more confused than when you started.
That’s where Rachael Savage comes in. She’s helped so many women just like you…freelancers, side-hustlers, creative re-starters…go from “wait, what’s a UTR?” to confidently handling their business finances.
Book a Power Hour with Rachael and you’ll walk away with:
A clear answer to “do I need to register?”
Zero-jargon, step-by-step actions
Reassurance that you’re not about to get a scary brown envelope
💡 One hour with her = hours saved stressing, Googling and wondering if you’ve done it “wrong.”
You’ve got this. And she’s got your back. 💪💼
