Who this is for
People who sell their time or craft as a sole trader: design, code, writing, marketing, consulting, illustration, video. Also platform workers who invoice as themselves rather than through an umbrella or PAYE app.
If you operate through a limited company, Corporation Tax and PAYE on your salary are a different system. This page is the unincorporated freelancer. IR35 is a company/contractor issue; it is not how a genuine sole trader with multiple clients is taxed.
What is the same for every sole trader
If you work for yourself you register with HMRC, keep a record of what came in and what you spent to earn it, and file a Self Assessment return. Tax is on profit, not turnover. The 2026/27 personal allowance is £12,570. Class 4 National Insurance is 6% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above that. The online filing and payment deadline for the 2025/26 return is 31 January 2027.
What is different if you are a freelancer
Your “shop” is usually a spare room and a laptop. Home office is therefore a real cost, but HMRC’s flat monthly rates cap out at £26 a month. Actual bills can be more if you work long hours in a dedicated room. Pick one method for the year.
Platforms (Upwork, Fiverr, a US client on Wise) pay net. Turnover is the full fee the client paid if you claim the platform cut as an expense, or the net if you never claim the cut. Pick one story and keep the statements.
A PAYE job plus evenings of freelance is normal. The job is taxed at source. The evenings are Self Assessment. Personal allowance is shared across both, which is why a “small” side hustle can still create a bill: the allowance was already used by the job.
Worked example
A designer invoices £52,000. Adobe and other software £1,440. Laptop £1,600. Platform and card fees £900. Indemnity £350. Home office actuals £720. Phone and broadband share £480. Training £600. Accountant £710. Total expenses £6,800.
| Typical year | Amount |
|---|---|
| Turnover | £52,000 |
| Software | £1,440 |
| Laptop | £1,600 |
| Platform and card fees | £900 |
| Home office | £720 |
| Accountant | £710 |
| Training | £600 |
| Phone and broadband share | £480 |
| Insurance | £350 |
| Total expenses | £6,800 |
| Taxable profit | £45,200 |
| Income Tax | £6,526 |
| Class 4 NI | £1,957.80 |
| Estimated bill | £8,483.80 |
Figures use 2026/27 England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, full personal allowance, no other income. Scotland uses different bands. Run the calculator with your own numbers.
Full-time freelancer, England, some US clients, cash basis. Gross is over the 2026 MTD line.
Making Tax Digital
Freelancers hit MTD earlier than they expect because the test is gross invoices, not profit after Adobe and the accountant. If qualifying income was over £50,000, MTD for Income Tax applied from 6 April 2026. Spreadsheet-only is not enough unless you use bridging software on HMRC’s list. Quarterly updates are not extra tax payments.
See does Making Tax Digital apply to me? and the sole trader MTD guide.
Next steps
- What freelancers can claim as expenses
- How Self Assessment works for freelancers
- Printable expense checklist
- Deadline calendar
- How much tax to set aside
Related trades
- Photographer tax: Bodies and glass, second shooters, travel to jobs, and editing software.
- Personal trainer tax: Gym desk fees, CPD, kit versus clothing, and online coaching income.
- Plumber tax: CIS, van, materials, and why the site paying you does not mean they did your tax.