Documents Needed for Self Assessment — Gather Them as the Year Happens
You do not post receipts to HMRC with the return — but you must be able to show them. This page lists the documents needed for Self Assessment, then shows the exact Clariana task that gathers invoices, expenses and tax emails into one list before January.
What HMRC expects you to keep
For Self Assessment, you usually enter totals on the return. You do not send receipts unless HMRC asks. You do need records of:
- All sales and other income (invoices, till records, platform statements)
- Business expenses with proof (receipts, bills)
- Bank records that support those figures
- Employment paperwork if you also had a job (P60, P45, P11D)
- Pension contribution certificates, bank interest, dividends where relevant
Self-employed records are generally kept until five years after the 31 January filing deadline. Clariana does not replace that duty. It stops the evidence living only in a forgotten inbox.
A concrete example
The January pile, collected every month instead
What you type into Clariana
Gather invoices I sent, expense receipts and tax-related emails for the current UK tax year. List the date, who it was, amount, and whether it is income or an expense. Skip marketing. Keep a running list I can give my accountant.
Source and destination you choose
Where it comes from
Outlook
Where invoices and receipts already arrive
Why this one: Most evidence is email. Photograph paper receipts and use File Upload for those.
Also works with
- IMAP
- File Upload
- Email forwarded to Clariana
Where the result goes
Table
Year-to-date income and expenses
Why this one: Your accountant wants a list, not a zip of random PDFs.
Or choose
- Send Email
- File Download
When it runs: First Sunday of each month
The plan Clariana would show you
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1
Collect money mail for this tax year
Sales invoices, expense receipts, pension and interest notices if they arrived by email.
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2
Label income or expense
Date, who, amount, short description.
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3
Remove duplicates
The same receipt twice is one line.
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4
Keep the running list
Email it to your accountant if you choose Send Email. Clariana will not file the return.
What you get back
Example extract — not a filed return
| Date | Who | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May | Client invoice INV-77 | £1,800 | Income |
| 12 May | Software | £16.99 | Expense |
| 3 Jun | Rail to client | £46.20 | Expense |
Not tax advice. Allowable expenses depend on your situation. Confirm with HMRC guidance or an accountant.
How to run this in Clariana
One source, one destination, then a plan you can read before anything runs.
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Step 1
Describe the task
Type it the way you would brief a careful helper.
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Step 2
Pick where it comes from
Outlook, IMAP, forwarded email, a file upload, Google Drive or OneDrive.
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Step 3
Pick where the result goes
A table, an email, a download, Drive, OneDrive, or a calendar.
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Step 4
Read the plan, then save
Edit anything that looks wrong. Add a schedule if you asked for one.
Self Assessment document questions
Do I send receipts with my tax return?
Usually no. Keep them in case HMRC asks. Clariana helps you find them later.
What if I only have paper till receipts?
Photograph them clearly and run a File Upload task with the same instruction, or add them to the mailbox task as uploads if you use a second source task.
Related guides
Describe the task once. Clariana handles it every time after that.