Earning between £100,000 and £150,000? Your tax return is changing

If you’re a high earner with between £100,000 and £150,000 in net adjusted income, you’ll soon receive a letter from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) regarding whether you need to continue submitting a Self-Assessment tax return.

‘Net adjusted income’ is your total taxable income after certain reliefs, such as charitable donations via Gift Aid, but before your Personal Allowance is applied.

Anyone earning between £100,000 and £150,000 annually who does not meet certain criteria will need to submit a Self-Assessment return for the 2023/24 financial year in line with current requirements.

However, those who do meet all these requirements will not automatically need to submit for 2023/24:

  • You are taxed through Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE)
  • You’re earning between £100,000 and £150,000 per year in net adjusted income
  • You submitted a 2022/23 tax return showing income within the stated band
  • You are not a partner in a registered business partnership
  • You do not receive any untaxed income over £2,500
  • You have no other income
  • You do not meet any other criteria for requiring Self-Assessment, such as earning over £1,000 from self-employment
  • You do not pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC).

If you need to send a return for the 2023/24 financial year, you must register by 5 October 2024 and submit it by 31 January 2025.

Remember that the Personal Allowance decreases by £1 for every £2 that you earn over £100,000 – effectively removing the Personal Allowance for incomes of £125,140 or more.

Do I have to keep submitting a Self-Assessment?

High earners with an income of between £100,000 and £150,000 previously had to submit a Self-Assessment tax return, even if they were taxed by PAYE only.

2023/24 was a transition year towards removing the requirement for those in this group to submit by tax information by Self-Assessment – with PAYE-only individuals earning over £150,000 per annum still required to submit a return, even if they meet all other exemption criteria above.

For the 2024/25 financial year onward, Self-Assessment returns for high earners paying tax via PAYE only have been removed as a requirement.

Need help with personal tax planning? Get in touch with us.