PhD stipend + renting a room

I am a noncitizen (student visa) and am looking into renting a room out (with permission) as well as a parking spot. I know there is a relief scheme 7.5k for renting out, and there is a scheme of 1k for letting your parking spot. However, if I understand it correctly, it is not possible to use both of them - so if one has rental income from a room as well as from the parking spot, does that mean that submitting self assessment will be required independent of the gross income? If my gross income exceeds 7.5k, I reckon I would surely need to submit the form. My stipend is non taxable, does that mean that only the rental income will determine the tax bracket and thus even if the gross exceeds 7.5k this may leed to a 0% tax rate?

Hi andreas
The rent a room scheme would only be applicable to the renting of the room in your property and as such you would only be taxlable on the income that exceeds the rent a room relief of £7,500.
The letting of the parking space would be a separate income source and this business could make use of the £1,000 allowance and you would therefore only be taxable on the income above £1,000.
If you have no other income then you would only be liable to pay tax if your taxable profits from both these sources exceeded the current personal allowance limit of £12,570 per annum.  
Please see guidance here:
Tax-free allowances on property and trading income
Rent a room in your home
Thank you. 

Okay so this means to be on the safe side (or, if profits exceed either the 7.5k for the room or the 1k for the spot), I could self assess next year before October and declare the gross. However, is the tax then calculated based on the earnings that exceed the relief scheme, or would £12,570 be the total gross without deducting any of the allowances? And non taxable scholarships do not need to be included and do not count towards the tax band / personal allowance limit, right?

Hi,

Thank you for your question please see the relevant information on our website on the following links:

Work out your rental income when you let property

Rent a room in your home

Thank you.