Aylesbury & Aylesbury Vale Events Calendar

Do you ever wonder if you're getting your Self Assessment completely right?

Polina Dimitrova (MIAB, MCIPP), accontant and founder of Best-Assistant Accounting, based in Aylesbury leadind a online workshop Mastering Your UK Self-Assessment.

Self Assessment can feel daunting whether you're preparing to complete your very first return or you've been doing your own for years.

If it's your first, there's a lot to get your head around when you're already busy running a business. If you've done it before, you may know the process but still have those areas you're not completely sure about, from what you can legitimately claim to how much you should be putting aside for tax.

This workshop is designed to make Self Assessment feel clearer and much more manageable, whatever your starting point. You'll understand how it all works, what HMRC expects from you and how to stay on top of your finances throughout the year, rather than everything becoming a rush when the deadline approaches.

Nearly half a million people filed their Self Assessment on deadline day last year, so if you're someone who tends to put it off, you're certainly not alone! Whether you're starting from scratch or simply want to fill in the gaps in your knowledge and feel more confident that you're doing things correctly, you'll leave with a much better understanding of your Self Assessment and what you need to do next.

This practical workshop will take you through Self Assessment in plain English, without the complicated accountancy jargon, so you can feel much clearer about what you're doing and why.

This workshop is ideal if you:
✔ Have completed Self Assessment before but would like to feel more confident that you're getting it right

✔ Are preparing to complete your first Self Assessment and aren't sure where to start

✔ Have recently moved from employment into self-employment

✔ Are self-employed, a sole trader or freelancer and want to understand Self Assessment better

✔ Aren't sure which business expenses you can and can't claim

✔ Want to understand how your Income Tax and National Insurance are calculated

✔ Have heard of Payments on Account but aren't completely sure how they work

✔ Want to avoid missed deadlines, mistakes and unexpected tax bills

✔ Would like a better way to keep track of your income and expenses throughout the year

Self Assessment isn't only about submitting your return before the January deadline. Keeping the right records, understanding what you can legitimately claim and having an idea of what you might owe can make the whole process much easier. It can also help you avoid that January panic of wondering whether you've kept everything you need, whether you've claimed the right expenses or whether your tax bill is going to be more than you expected.

We'll also look at Making Tax Digital, better ways to keep your financial records organised and how you can prepare for your tax bill throughout the year rather than dealing with everything at the last minute.

Whether you've been completing your own Self Assessment for years or you're about to tackle your first one, this workshop will help fill in the gaps, answer some of those questions you've perhaps always wondered about and give you a much clearer understanding of your responsibilities.

Polina's approach is practical, approachable and jargon-free, so you don't need to be a numbers person to follow along.

The aim isn't to turn you into an accountant. It's to help you understand your Self Assessment and business finances well enough to feel much more confident about what you're doing.

You will learn:

✓ Key HMRC Dates & Deadlines: Essential timelines for registration, submission, and payments to avoid late filing penalties.

✓ Allowable vs Non-Allowable Expenses: Clear guidance on what expenses you can legally claim (home office, travel, equipment, marketing, etc.) to optimise your tax position.

✓ Understanding Your Tax Bill: How Income Tax and Class 2 / Class 4 National Insurance contributions are calculated.

✓ Record-Keeping & Digital Readiness: Simple ways to organise and track your income and expenses, whether you use spreadsheets or accounting software, plus an introduction to Making Tax Digital.

✓ Payments on Account: Demystifying how HMRC’s advance tax payments work so you are never caught out by unexpected bills.

✓ Estimating your tax: How to estimate what you might owe in tax and plan how much to put aside throughout the year

✓ How to avoid common pitfalls, missed deadlines, and filing errors.