When you work with Tembo Care, you
are working on a self-employed basis, which means we do not give you payslips, we don't pay your tax and we can't give you a P60 or P45.
There are many accounting firms that can help you set up your self-assessment or your self-employment.
One company that might be able to help you is:
https://taxscouts.com/Making Tax Digital (MTD): A Guide for Freelance & Multi-Setting Carers
If you are a self-employed carer working across nurseries, retirement homes, or private households, your reporting requirements depend entirely on your Total Gross Income (your total earnings before you subtract expenses).
1. The Thresholds: Where do you fit?
HMRC is rolling out MTD in phases. To see if you need to join, look at your total income from all your self-employment work combined.
- If you earn over £50,000: You must join MTD by 6 April 2026.
- If you earn over £30,000: You must join MTD by 6 April 2027.
- If you earn over £20,000: You must join MTD by 6 April 2028.
2. What if I make less than £20,000?
If your total self-employed income is £20,000 or less, the new rules do not apply to you for the foreseeable future.
- Business as usual: You can continue to file your tax return once a year via the standard Self Assessment online portal.
- No quarterly updates: You are not required to send updates every three months or use specific MTD software.
- Record keeping: While you don't need digital software by law, you must still keep accurate records (paper or spreadsheet) of your income and expenses to complete your annual return.
3. What changes if I AM over the threshold?
If you earn enough to be in the MTD bracket, your reporting moves from an "annual" task to a "quarterly" one:
- Digital Records: Every invoice from a nursery and every payment from a private family must be recorded in MTD-compatible software.
- Quarterly Summaries: Every 3 months, your software sends a summary of these totals to HMRC.
- The "Final Declaration": You still do a year-end "mop up" by 31 January to claim tax reliefs (like your uniform, training, or mileage) and pay your bill.
For further assistance please email us at jobs@tembocare.co.uk.
