Due to the nature of the tax system, we cannot provide information covering each eventuality within our tax guide. With tax matters, everyone is different, and not all questions listed below may appear on your return.
Where your circumstances are more complex than just standard employment and self employment, seek professional assistance to complete your return.
On this section, you can tailor your tax return to your own personal circumstances.
We’ve listed examples of how some of these sections work, however it is possible that your own circumstances are different to others, therefore for assistance, press the ‘Help’ buttons on the Government return for assistance.
This article covers the final page of questions within the Tailor Your Return section of your Tax Return.
Did you make contributions towards a personal pension or retirement annuity? This does not include payments you make to your employer’s pension scheme, which are deducted from your pay.
This is asking if you paid into a personal pension / retirement annuity. If you were employed during the year and only paid into an employer’s scheme, you should choose NO.
The reason for this question is that payments made through your payslips when employed are already deducted from your salary, therefore HMRC have to calculate additional items if it was a personal pension.
Did you give to charity?
This relates to Gift Aid which can be added to charitable donations. However, you need to be a tax payer to allow for Gift Aid to be eligible.
For example, if you complete your tax return and have made a loss, and expect a refund from HMRC as a result, you may not be a tax payer, and therefore wouldn’t be eligible for Gift Aid claimed donations.
If you, or your spouse or civil partner, were born before 6 April 1935 do you want to claim married couple’s allowance?
If this is applicable, choose YES. Otherwise, choose NO.
Do you want to claim other tax reliefs and deductions, for example, community investment tax relief, venture capital trust shares, maintenance / alimony payments?
If this is applicable, choose YES. Otherwise, choose NO.
Have you had any 2024-25 Income Tax refunded or off-set by us or JobCentre Plus?
If this is applicable, choose YES. Otherwise, choose NO.
Did you have a tax adviser?
A Tax Advisor is not necessarily a bookkeeper or accountant, these are usually specialist individuals. For example, using guidance provided through this tax guide or MalgraBooks does not constitute and is not a tax advisor, therefore that would be NO.
If you do have a tax advisor, and they helped you complete your tax return, select YES. You may be asked for their details later.
Have you used one or more tax avoidance schemes?
This may seem like a trick question, but HMRC ask this as they would then start the required checks if you did, and select YES. It’s better to declare than be suddenly investigated and found to have used such a scheme. Hopefully you didn’t, therefore select NO.
Do you need to disclose any income from disguised remuneration avoidance schemes? If you received any disguised remuneration loans and they have not been fully repaid or you still owe tax on an amount outstanding on 5 April 2024, select “Yes”
Again this is a follow up to the previous question but using different language. You’re likely to choose NO.
Are you acting in capacity on behalf of someone else?
If you are completing the return based on a number of key reasons, select YES here, otherwise choose NO. This is usually when someone is deceased.
Next Steps
Upon ‘customisation’ of your return, you’ll be returned to the main menu to complete your relevant sections chosen above.