If you're self-employed you only have a few days left to dodge a £100 fine - act now

Hairdressers, labourers and other self-employed workers submitting a paper tax return need to do so by October 31 to avoid hefty penalties from HM Revenue & Customs.

If you fail to hand in the form before this date you could face a £100 fine from the taxman.

People who make spare cash renting out a room in their home - or use sites like Airbnb to rent out their whole home - may also need to file a form.

The tax year is from April 6 to April 5 the following year. You can either send your form by post or fill it out online.

If you file it online the deadline is extended to January 31 but if you are filing a paper return you need to act fast.

How to check if you need to register

You’ll need to send a tax return if, in the last tax year:

you were self-employed - you can deduct allowable expenses
you got £2,500 or more in untaxed income, for example from renting out a property or savings and investments - contact the helpline if it was less than £2,500
your savings or investment income was £10,000 or more before tax
you made profits from selling things like shares, a second home or other chargeable assets and need to pay Capital Gains Tax
you were a company director - unless it was for a non-profit organisation (such as a charity) and you didn’t get any pay or benefits, like a company car
your income (or your partner’s) was over £50,000 and one of you claimed Child Benefit
you had income from abroad that you needed to pay tax on
you lived abroad and had a UK income
you got dividends from shares and you’re a higher or additional rate taxpayer - but if you don’t need to send a return for any other reason, contact the helpline instead
your income was over £100,000
you were a trustee of a trust or registered pension scheme
you had a P800 from HMRC saying you didn't pay tax last year - and you didn’t pay what you owe through your tax code or with a voluntary payment

What you will need to show

Before starting the form there are some important documents you will need to gather as proof.

You will need details about your employment income, a P60 and your P11D - this details or expenses, benefits and reimbursements you have received.

A P45 will also be required if you have changed jobs in the last year.

How do I send my return?

Once you have all the information together you will be able to use them to calculate how much tax you will need to pay.

You can fill the form out online here and it will automatically add up how much money you owe without you having to do the maths.

If you are filling out a paper form and sending it by post you need to get your skates on. As the deadline falls on a Monday HMRC won't be open the day before to help you with any queries so avoid leaving your form to the last minute.