‘Being organised helps take the stress out of completing a tax return’

Jade Milbourne, 34, runs a dog grooming salon with her business partner. They offer high-quality dog grooming and teeth cleaning services for our four-legged friends. Jade has been running the business for 5 years and believes the way to stay on top of her tax return each year is to stay organised.

Jade recalls feeling intimidated the first time she completed her Self Assessment tax return because she wanted to make sure it was correct. But experience and familiarity with the system means she now finds it stress-free and straight-forward to complete – as long as she leaves time to pay her tax bill.

Jade says: “I like to complete my tax return early, usually after our business books have been submitted by our accountant and I have the dividend confirmation statement. I stay organised by keeping digital records of my payslips and any other information I might need to include in my tax return.

“Filing early means that I have plenty of time to pay my tax bill. I set aside money from my wage each month and pay it as soon as I can, but also have the flexibility and time to save up more money, if needed.”

Jade’s advice for any business owners who are new to Self Assessment is to stay organised and keep on top of your records. She deals with invoices or paperwork as soon as possible and keeps digital records of everything.

“I always find the more organised you are throughout the year, the less stressful it is to complete my tax return.”

Visit GOV.UK to find out more about Self Assessment and how to file a tax return.

Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press Office