Services
Self Assessment Accountant in Catford
Looking for a tax return accountant in Catford or nearby in South East London? We prepare and file your Self Assessment correctly, with your tax bill calculated well ahead of the January deadline, not the week before it.
Reviewed by Rehan Razzaq FCCA, founder of REYS Accountants. Last reviewed October 2026.
What's included
- Your Self Assessment tax return prepared and filed with HMRC
- Guidance on what you can and can't claim as an allowable expense
- Your tax bill calculated ahead of the 31 January deadline, so there's time to plan for it
- Support if you're registering for Self Assessment for the first time
- A plain-English explanation of what you owe and why
Who needs a tax return accountant?
You need to file a Self Assessment tax return if you're a sole trader, a landlord with rental income, a company director, or anyone with income HMRC doesn't already tax at source, such as dividends or freelance earnings on top of a salary. If you're not sure whether you need to file, HMRC's own checker gives a quick answer.
A lot of people who technically need to file don't realise it until a penalty letter arrives. If your circumstances changed this year, new self-employment, a rental property, a second income, it's worth checking rather than assuming your last return still covers you.
Most people searching for a tax accountant near me want someone to check what actually needs declaring before anything goes to HMRC, which is why every new client starts with a short call, not a form.
Filing for the first time? Our step-by-step checklist for first-time filers covers registering with HMRC, getting your UTR, and what records to gather before you start.
Employed and earning self-employed income on the side? Read when you need to file for both and how the £1,000 trading allowance affects it.
What are the most common Self Assessment mistakes?
Most Self Assessment problems come from timing, not tax law. If you're newly self-employed, you need to register with HMRC by 5 October following the end of the tax year you started trading in, miss that and you can face a penalty even before your first return is due. Once you're registered and your bill is above a certain amount, HMRC also expects "payments on account", advance instalments towards next year's tax, paid alongside this year's bill. Being caught out by a payment on account you didn't budget for is one of the most common surprises we see.
The other recurring issue is records: mixing up tax years, losing receipts for allowable expenses, or trying to reconstruct a year of mileage from memory in January rather than tracking it as you go. None of this is complicated once it's part of a routine, it's mostly a habit problem, not a tax problem. Our guide to which business records to keep, and for how long sets out the full list.
How it works
From records to filed return.
Send us your records
Bank statements, invoices, expenses, whatever you've got, however messy. We'll tell you if anything's missing.
We prepare your return
Checked for allowable expenses and reliefs you're entitled to, then explained in plain English before anything is filed.
You approve, we file
Nothing goes to HMRC until you've signed off on what you owe and why, well ahead of the 31 January deadline.
Common questions
Self Assessment, answered.
Generally: sole traders, landlords, company directors, anyone earning over £1,000 from self-employment, and anyone with untaxed income such as dividends or foreign income. HMRC's guidance has the full list.
31 January following the end of the tax year for online returns, or 31 October for paper returns. Any tax owed is also due by 31 January.
HMRC issues an automatic £100 penalty the day after the deadline, even if you owe no tax, with further charges the longer it's left unpaid. It's one of the more avoidable costs of disorganised records, if that's the reason you're behind, our bookkeeping service is worth a look too.
At least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline for the relevant tax year, longer if HMRC opens an enquiry. Digital copies are fine, HMRC doesn't require paper originals.
It does if your income from self-employment and property, added together, was more than £50,000 on your 2024/25 return. Since 6 April 2026 that means keeping digital records, sending HMRC a summary every quarter through compatible software, and then filing your tax return after the year ends. From 6 April 2027 the line moves to £30,000, based on your 2025/26 return, and from 6 April 2028 to £20,000. HMRC's eligibility checker confirms where you stand, or ask us and we'll tell you which year it reaches you.