Self-employed personal chefs buy ingredients for each booking as their main cost, with food hygiene certification a recurring compliance requirement. Full worked example on £33,000 turnover.
Self-employed personal shoppers and stylists handle client money for purchases alongside their own styling fee, similar to wedding planners. Full worked example on £23,000 genuine income.
From gym-floor PTs paying rent-a-rail fees to freelance yoga instructors teaching across multiple studios, fitness professionals face varied tax situations. Full worked example on £28,000 income and what you actually keep.
Self-employed plumbers and heating engineers carry significant kit and certification costs. Full worked example on £45,000 turnover, Gas Safe registration and van deductions.
Private tutoring — maths, English, music, languages, exam prep — is one of the most common self-employed side hustles for teachers and graduates. Full worked example on £20,000 tutoring income, deductible expenses, and when VAT applies.
Reiki healers, reflexologists and other complementary therapists are self-employed sole traders for tax purposes, with no special VAT exemption. Registration, expenses and the trading allowance in 2026/27.
RNLI lifeboat crew are unpaid volunteers, while HM Coastguard Rescue Officers receive taxable callout fees on top of volunteering. Here's exactly how each is treated for tax, mileage claims, and what to declare on a Self Assessment return.
Self-employed scaffolders working for contractors face CIS tax deductions at source, plus CISRS card and PPE costs. Full worked example on £40,000 gross CIS turnover.
Share fishermen — paid a share of the catch rather than a wage — are self-employed under a distinct HMRC category with its own National Insurance rate. Full guide to how catch shares are taxed and the special Class 2 treatment for 2026/27.
How digital platform reporting rules work, the £1,000 trading allowance, and when selling on Etsy, eBay, Vinted or Depop actually needs to be declared to HMRC.
UK surrogacy law only permits payment of 'reasonable expenses' to a surrogate, not a commercial fee — which shapes how any payments are treated for tax. Full guide to what's taxable, benefit implications, and how intended parents' costs are treated.
Self-employed swimming instructors often pay for pool hire and lane time as their biggest single cost. Full worked example on £19,000 turnover, qualification costs and what's deductible.
