Affordable help with Self Assessment for a side hustle: your UK options
You can get help with Self Assessment for free or for a few pounds a month. HMRC, Citizens Advice and TaxAid cost nothing, software can take care of the record keeping, and an accountant is worth paying for once things get complicated. Here is how the options compare, and how to pick the right one for your side hustle.
Do you actually need to do a Self Assessment?
Not every side hustle does. The number to know is £1,000. Under HMRC's trading allowance, if your total sales from self-employment are £1,000 or less in a tax year, you generally do not need to tell HMRC. Go over £1,000 and you generally do.
That £1,000 is your total sales, not your profit. Say you sell £1,200 of work and spend £500 on costs. Your profit is £700, but your sales are still over £1,000, so you need to tell HMRC. For more on this, see our plain-English guide to what counts as business income.
One more catch: you cannot use the £1,000 allowance and claim your actual expenses on the same income. You pick one or the other.
The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. If you started trading in 2025/26 and have not filed a return before, you need to register for Self Assessment by 5 October 2026. Your online return and any tax you owe are then due by 31 January 2027.
Not sure where you stand? GOV.UK has a quick tool to check if you need to send a tax return.
Your options at a glance
If you do need to file, there are six realistic places to get help. Here is how they compare before we go through each one.
HMRC guidance and helpline: free. Best for learning the basics and how to file. It explains the rules but does not prepare your return.
Citizens Advice: free. Best for general advice and pointers to local help. It is not a specialist tax service.
TaxAid: aimed at people who cannot afford an adviser. Best for specialist help with tax problems on a low income. Check with them whether you qualify.
Accounting software, such as FreeAgent: a monthly fee, or free with some business bank accounts. Best for keeping records and filing from one place. You still need to know what goes where.
A Chartered Accountant or accountancy firm: paid, per return or monthly. Best for complicated situations, or handing it all over. It is the most expensive route.
Hustle Mate membership: £12 a month. Best for plain English guides, templates and tools, plus questions answered by a Chartered Accountant. It does not prepare or file returns, and it is not personal tax advice.
The free routes
Start here if your side hustle is simple and you mainly want to understand what is going on.
HMRC. HMRC publishes free guidance on GOV.UK for every step, from registering to filing. It will explain the rules and how to use the online service. It will not prepare your return or tell you the best way to run your affairs, so treat it as the rulebook rather than a helper.
Citizens Advice. Free, general advice, and useful if your tax worries are tangled up with debt, benefits or something else. They can point you towards specialist help in your area. Availability varies by location, so check what your local office offers.
TaxAid. A charity that supports people with tax problems who cannot afford to pay for advice. Its Self Assessment pages cover how to register, what documents you need, how to work out and pay your tax, and what to do if you make a mistake. If money is tight, its help page will tell you whether you qualify.
The paid routes
Accounting software. If receipts and spreadsheets are the real problem, software is often the quickest fix. It keeps your income and expenses in one place and can work out what you owe. FreeAgent is free if you have a business account with NatWest, Mettle by NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank. With Mettle you need to make at least one transaction a month to keep it free. If you bank elsewhere, FreeAgent offers a 30-day free trial and 50% off your first six months. Xero and QuickBooks are other popular options, so compare prices before you commit.
Software does not answer questions, though. It will happily record a mistake, so you still need to know what belongs where. You can read more in our guide to accounting software for side hustlers.
A Chartered Accountant. Paying someone to do it all makes sense when your situation is complicated: several income sources, a large profit, property, or a messy history with HMRC. It also makes sense if you simply want it off your plate. It costs more than any other route, so ask for a fixed fee up front and check they are properly qualified.
Where Hustle Mate fits
Hustle Mate is a £12 a month membership for UK freelancers, side hustlers and micro-business owners, run by me, Chris, a Chartered Accountant. You get a library of plain English guides, templates and tools, a private community, and the chance to ask me your questions. Our Start Your Own Business self-study course is included too. There is no contract, and you can cancel at any time.
It sits between the free routes and paying an accountant. It suits you if you want to understand your money properly, get quick answers as things come up, and not pay a full accountancy fee to do it.
It is not an accountancy practice. Hustle Mate does not prepare or file Self Assessment returns, and nothing in the membership is personal tax advice. If you want someone to file for you, you will need an accountant. If money is very tight, TaxAid may be the better first stop.
Which one should you choose?
Just checking whether you need to file: start with HMRC and Citizens Advice.
On a low income and worried about a tax problem: try TaxAid.
Drowning in receipts and spreadsheets: try accounting software.
Want to understand it and ask a real person questions: a Hustle Mate membership.
Complicated affairs, or you just want it done for you: pay an accountant.
You can also mix them. Plenty of people use free guidance to learn the basics, software for records, and pay an accountant only in a year when something unusual happens.
What to have ready before you start
Your total sales for the tax year, and your business costs
Invoices, receipts and bank statements to back them up
Details of any other income, such as a P60 from a day job or bank interest
Your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and Government Gateway login, once you have registered
Want a simple starting point? Download our free Self-Employment Tax Playbook.
Frequently asked questions
Is there cheap or free help with Self Assessment in the UK?
Yes. HMRC and Citizens Advice are free, TaxAid supports people who cannot afford an adviser, and some accounting software is free with certain business bank accounts. A membership like Hustle Mate costs £12 a month and lets you ask questions as you go.
Do I need to do a Self Assessment for a side hustle?
You generally do if your total sales from self-employment are over £1,000 in a tax year. There are other situations too, so use the GOV.UK checker to be sure.
When is the Self Assessment deadline?
You must register by 5 October after the end of the tax year in which you started. Your online return and any tax owed are due by 31 January after that tax year ends.
Can I do my own Self Assessment?
Many people with a simple side hustle do. HMRC's guidance is free, and software or a membership can help you feel confident about what you are entering. If your affairs are complicated, get professional help. Our tax time tips for side hustlers walk through how to prepare.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
You can be charged penalties, and they add up the longer you leave it. If you have missed a date, do not wait. Register or file as soon as you can, and contact HMRC or one of the free services above if you are stuck.
Does Hustle Mate file my return?
No. Hustle Mate helps you understand and organise your records, and you can ask me questions. If you want someone to file for you, you will need an accountant. Got another question? See our FAQs.
Written by Chris Wilson, ICAEW Chartered Accountant and founder of Hustle Mate. Last reviewed: 20 September 2026.
