The 5 October Tax Deadline Has Passed. What Happens If You Missed It?

There are two types of people in the world: those who had 5 October marked firmly in their diary… and those who have just read that date and thought, “Wait… what was supposed to happen on 5 October?” 👀 If you earn money outside your normal employment — perhaps through a side hustle, freelance work, online selling, content creation, property or another small business — 5 October may have been an important date for you. The 5 October 2026 deadline has just passed for some people who needed to register for Self Assessment after becoming self-employed during the 2025/26 tax year.

Cue the mild panic. 😬

But before you start imagining HMRC helicopters circling your house, take a breath. Missing the registration deadline doesn't automatically mean you're in serious trouble. The first step is to establish whether you actually needed to register and, if you did, what you need to do now. For many sole traders, the £1,000 trading allowance is an important starting point. If your gross trading income was more than £1,000 during the tax year, you may need to register for Self Assessment.

And “income” can mean more than simply the money you think of as your main earnings. Side jobs, freelance work, online sales, commissions, content creation and other trading activities can all potentially form part of the bigger picture. This is where things can quickly become confusing. The amount coming into your bank account isn't necessarily the same as your taxable profit. Allowable business expenses may need to be taken into account, and getting your figures right matters.

Perhaps the biggest mistake, however, is assuming that because HMRC hasn't contacted you, everything must be fine. HMRC isn't necessarily going to send you a friendly message saying: “Hi! Just checking… are you earning money on the side?” 😂 It is generally your responsibility to understand whether you need to register and report your income. So, if 5 October has passed and you're now wondering whether you should have done something, don't bury your head in the sand.

Check. Ask questions. Get your figures together. And if you've missed something, deal with it rather than hoping it disappears.

Because when it comes to tax, ignoring a problem rarely makes it smaller. And “I didn't realise I needed to register” isn't necessarily going to make the deadline disappear. 😉 The good news is that getting your tax affairs in order doesn't have to be complicated or frightening.

Whether you've started a side hustle, taken on freelance work, begun selling online or simply found that your additional income has grown considerably, getting the right advice early can help you understand where you stand and what you need to do next.

We're here to help with the whole picture — not just filling in a tax return.

Not sure whether you needed to register for Self Assessment? It's better to ask the question now than discover the answer later.

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