Skip to main content Keep calm during Self Assessment season
Self Assessment season is upon us once again and with the introduction of MTD for Income Tax right around the corner, your sole trader and landlord clients may have more questions than ever before.
While January is sure to be busy, it doesn’t have to be stressful. From ensuring your clients are well prepared to looking after your own wellbeing, we’ve put together some useful tips that should help you stay cool as a cucumber all the way to 31st January.
Inhale, reach up: exhale and plan ahead
It’s a good idea to set aside some time for planning to ensure your practice is well prepared ahead of the Self Assessment filing deadline. You may find it helpful to draw up a list of all the tasks that have to be completed, along with their deadlines. This will give you a good indication of the volume of work to be tackled and help you allocate resources accordingly.
As MTD for Income Tax draws closer, many practices are finding they have to field questions about what the upcoming changes will mean, on top of the usual Self Assessment workload. To prevent the pressure from building in the run-up to 31st January, it’s a good idea to factor in some additional time for communicating with your clients about MTD.
You may also want to allow extra time for any clients who submit their Self Assessment information after your agreed deadline. By creating some space in your plan for late submissions, you can help to minimise the impact of any last-minute surprises.
Stay present and spread the word
In our webinar, Self Assessment: how to get ahead of the game, Anna Nikolovska ACCA (Director, Digital Accounting Enterprises) said: “We sent our first chasing email on 6th April. We might not get much of an initial response but after a month, there’s another reminder and another one. We’ve done half of Self Assessment for this year with automated chasing. And now we need to concentrate on the other half!”.
To help avoid the stress that comes with clients submitting their information late, ensure that they know the deadlines well in advance and understand the importance of sticking to them.
Using several communication channels increases the chance of your clients getting the message, so make the most of email newsletters, social media and blog posts to get their attention.
You may want to remind your clients that you’ll be unable to file their tax return on time if they don’t meet your deadlines, and warn them that this could result in a penalty from HMRC. This is also a good opportunity to flag to eligible sole trader and landlord clients that MTD Income Tax begins in April 2026, and to remind them of any preparatory steps you’ve asked them to take.
Find a natural flow: set boundaries with clients
While Self Assessment season might see you working longer days than usual, by setting communication boundaries you may be able to limit the number of out-of-hours calls and emails you have to deal with.
Let your clients know your office hours so that they understand when you’re unavailable. You may wish to set an automatic response for emails received outside your core hours so that clients know when they can expect to hear back from you.
During our Self Assessment simplified: prep early, stress less webinar, the panelists shared the importance of saying no to last-minute requests and communicating the deadlines at an early stage with regular late submitters.
Shift your focus inward: check in with colleagues
If you’re feeling the pressure of Self Assessment, your colleagues may be in the same boat. Consider scheduling some regular time to check in with the rest of your practice to make sure everyone is coping with their workload.
From talking through any issues you’re having to sharing tips on managing clients, an open conversation could help you find solutions and restore calm to the team. It might be valuable to hold optional team meetings where colleagues can give quick status updates on their workload and anything that might affect their ability to complete it.
“We try to keep it fun! Feeding the team is a big part of that to keep them going. But we also blow up balloons for every tax return to be filed, and we take turns popping them when the returns are filed. There are some occasions where we’re having champagne and cupcakes by lunchtime and others where it’s the 31st and we’re still working at 5pm. You’ve got to take the rough with the smooth.” - Hannah Campbell (Partner, TaxAssist Accountants)
Take a moment to look after yourself
Self Assessment season can feel all-consuming, especially in a year when you’re fielding a record-breaking volume of client queries with the impending introduction of MTD. As a result, it’s more important than ever to prioritise your wellbeing during this busy time.
As Sharon Critchlow of wellbeing company Discover Your Bounce, shared in one of our Bookkeeper Boost Week sessions: “You cannot give from an empty cup - look after yourself and you’ll be better able to support your clients”.
Consider preparing some healthy snacks to keep at your desk, ensure you stay hydrated and try a relaxing bedtime routine to promote restful sleep.
Maintaining a healthy work/life balance may prove difficult during Self Assessment season, but it’s also important to recognise when you need to take a break. Review your schedule and consider when you can fit in some time for yourself.
Taking a short walk, listening to some music or completing some stress-busting breathing exercises could give you the boost you need to remain calm and productive through the day.
Let go of any distractions and file away
We’ve recently created a 60-minute video designed to help you relax during Self Assessment season. This soothing soundtrack aims to calm your mind and boost your focus as you prepare to file. The music, set to a rhythm of 60-80 bpm, mirrors the average resting heart rate making it the perfect backdrop to your productivity.
For more Self Assessment season tips, watch the recording of our CPD-accredited ‘Self Assessment: how to build a profitable pricing strategy’ webinar.
Originally published
Last updated
