PAYE + side business

Hello, I already file Self-Assesment because of my PAYE salary but I'm building a side business at the same time without any income at the moment since it hasn't launched. I'm investing on website hosting, marketing, buying equipment and other expenses which are not related to my employment, but to the side business. QUESTION: To be able to claim these as expenses, do I have to register as a sole trader even if I already do self assesment? Thank you for your response and any guidance would be appriaciated.

Hi
No, you will just tailor your return to show that you now have another source under self employment. If you want to claim actual expenses and/or any loss, you need to say that your turnover is over £1000 even if it is not.

Not HMRC...incorrect. If you do not register as a sole trader also, both class 2 and 4 ni records will be incorrect and when it comes to making a profit in future the class 1 ni paid will not adjust class 4 via a credit within SA and you will overpay ni throughout your lifetime, until ni pick it up (which may never happen) You MUST register as a sole trader as class 2 will be due (adjusted for time from self employment starts not profit/loss) and class 4 needs to pick up a class 1 figure and it wont look for it within SA unless you register!

Hello, thanks for your responses. I'm struggling to see where exactly do I register? I'm following these steps: 1/ in the "Register as a sole trader" website 2/ I click on "Check how to register for Self Assesment as a sole trader." 3/ fill in the questionarie with, first question: 1. Why do you need to send a Self Assessment tax return? answer "You're self-employed" 4/ second question: 2. Did you send a tax return last year? answer "Yes" 5/ it just says "You're already registered for Self Assessment" and doesn't let me do anything else. Am I doing anything incorrect? Thank you again for the feedback.

Login to your SA account and you should be able to register as self employed in there, alternatively https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/print-and-post/form/NICs_iForms/1.0/CWF1_20167/cwf1.xdp Much better to do it from your existing login, its a CWF1 you need to complete