Self Assessment

Formal Neutral

What it really means

The system for telling HMRC (the UK tax office) about income that is not taxed automatically — mainly for self-employed people. You register, then file a tax return each year. Employees on PAYE usually do not need it. Full details and deadlines are on GOV.UK.

Chinese explanation
向HMRC（英国税务局）申报未自动扣税收入的制度，主要面向自雇人士：先注册，然后每年提交纳税申报表。走PAYE的雇员一般不需要。具体流程和截止日期见GOV.UK。

Example conversation

A: I earned some money tutoring on the side. Do I owe tax? B: You might need to register for Self Assessment — check the rules on GOV.UK.
A：我课余做家教赚了点钱，要交税吗？ B：你可能需要注册Self Assessment——去GOV.UK查一下规定。

What you could say back

“I'll check GOV.UK to see if I need to register.”

Related phrases

Freelancer PAYE (Pay As You Earn) Tax code

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

Go deeper

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake