The questions, answered straight.
One question per page. HMRC's own rule in plain words, then the free tool that does the sum. No account, no email.
Can I claim my lunch if I am self employed?
Not on a normal working day. Everyone has to eat, so HMRC treats your dinner as a personal cost, butty van or meal deal. A meal on a trip that keeps you away overnight is different and does count.
Does Making Tax Digital apply to me yet?
Only if your self employed income and rent together came to more than £50,000 in the 2024 to 2025 tax year. Under that, nothing changes for you this year.
CIS: what comes off before the 20% and what does not?
Only the materials you paid for, at what you paid. Everything else you spend, diesel, tools, insurance, travel, lodge money, stays inside the 20% deduction and comes back once a year on your return, if you can prove it.
What is the mileage rate for the self employed now?
55p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles in the tax year, for cars and vans, and 25p a mile above that. The first band rate went up in April 2026 and most logs have not caught up.
When do I have to register as self employed with HMRC?
By 5 October after the end of the tax year you started in. Start in the year to 5 April 2026 and the date is 5 October 2026. It is one form and it is free, and missing it is what turns a small bill into a bigger one.
Why is there a second tax bill in July?
It is a payment on account, not a new tax. Once your Self Assessment bill comes to £1,000 or more, HMRC usually asks for next year's tax in two instalments up front, one with the January bill and one in July. It does not if more than four fifths of your tax for the year was already taken at source, through your tax code at work or by CIS.
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