Tax & legal
The paperwork side of earning on the side, in plain English.
- Side-hustle tax in the UK (2026): what you owe and when to tell HMRCThe £1,000 trading allowance, when to register for Self Assessment, what you can deduct, and what platforms now report to HMRC about your earnings.8 min read · updated September 2026
- Do you need public liability insurance for task work in the UK?What public liability covers, what marketplace protection does not, typical costs for handymen and cleaners, and when it is worth it.5 min read · updated September 2026
- How to get a DBS check when you are self-employed (2026)Self-employed people cannot apply for their own Enhanced DBS. Here is what you can get, what it costs, and how long it takes.4 min read · updated September 2026
- Waste carrier licence: what it costs and who needs one (UK)If you take rubbish away for money you need to be registered with the Environment Agency. Cost, how to apply, and why the householder is also liable.5 min read · updated September 2026
- The £1,000 trading allowance explained (UK, 2026)What the £1,000 trading allowance covers, why "gross" matters, allowance versus actual expenses, and worked examples at £900, £2,500 and £12,000 of task income.6 min read · updated September 2026
- What platforms report to HMRC about you (and why the number looks too big)Since January 2024 UK platforms must report your earnings to HMRC. What data they collect, why services have no minimum-sales exemption, what your January statement shows, and what to do if the figure looks wrong.6 min read · updated September 2026
- How to register as self-employed in the UK: the deadlines and the stepsWhen you must register with HMRC, the 5 October deadline, getting a UTR, filing by 31 January, National Insurance, and what changes at the £90,000 VAT threshold.6 min read · updated September 2026
- Self-employed expenses for taskers: what you can actually claim (UK)Mileage at 45p, tools, materials, platform fees, insurance, DBS, phone and home-working, what a UK tasker can deduct, what you cannot, and a five-minute-a-week record routine.7 min read · updated September 2026
- Right to work checks and self-employed work in the UK: what applies to youWho can work self-employed in the UK, how you prove it, the reported extension of right-to-work checks to gig work, and how it differs from DBS, trade registration and waste carrier checks.6 min read · updated September 2026