What is a tax overview from HMRC and how do I get one?

Full answer

A tax year overview is an HMRC-produced summary, separate from but paired with the SA302 tax calculation. The SA302 shows how your income tax and Class 4 National Insurance were worked out from your Self Assessment return; the tax year overview confirms what HMRC actually recorded as due and what you have paid, acting as independent verification that the figures on your return match HMRC's records. Who needs it: mainly self-employed people, company directors and landlords applying for a mortgage. Lenders typically ask for the last two or three years of SA302s plus the matching tax year overviews to prove declared income is genuine. How to get it: log in to your HMRC online Self Assessment account, go to 'View your tax year overview' (under returns), select the relevant tax year and print or save the PDF. The overview only appears once the return has been submitted and processed, usually 72 hours after filing. If you file through commercial software, you print the equivalent tax calculation from that software but still obtain the tax year overview from the HMRC site. Worked context: if your 2026/27 Self Assessment return shows GBP 40,000 profit, your SA302 sets out the income tax (basic rate 20% on the band above your GBP 12,570 Personal Allowance) and Class 4 NI (6% on profits between GBP 12,570 and GBP 50,270). The tax year overview then states the total tax due and payments received against it. Keep both documents together. To estimate the underlying liability before you file, use a self-employed tax calculator.

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