I'm a part-time wage slave with some income from free-lancing. Since a dissolved partnership a few years back I haven't made enough money to make profit from freelance until 07/08. After causing a business colleague concern, enquiries from a potential customer and a lecture from my little sister I thought I'd get my house in order and get myself sorted out to do the dreaded self-assessment again after a couple of years of freedom and penury.

I rang up and got told off for not having registered as self-employed and was given dire warnings about possible fine for not doing so. They then needed info about dissolved partnership which I was unable to find anywhere.

Eventually got info from ex-business partner, made phonecalls and got a flurry of letters so theoretically was ready for the dreaded self-assessment. meanwhile I found all the stuff on partnership in properly marked envelope on the mantelpiece I'd removed from tax file to deal with it, forgotten I'd done so and so hadn't been able to find it - Aaaarrggghhh!!!!

A few days ago I did my 'accounts' and amazingly quite enjoyed it. Simply added up fees and added up expenses with help of spread sheet and calculator.

And so I decided I might as well make a start on my self-assessment. I appeared to have some paperwork missing, because it was actually filed where it should be(!)but was able to make a start and somehow my re-opened 'account' was there and I was able to log on without any problems.

It was suspiciously easy and I sailed through. My untaxed profit was about 3K so no nasty scares due - Except the calculation informed me I owed them over thirty-eight thousand! After my panic dance around the room I thought I'd better check my figures and discovered I'd claimed to have earned 86K for one of my part-time jobs instead of 8.6 - that would explain it then...! I'd heard that to succeed in business you should 'add a nought', but I don't think I got it quite right...

So not only am I 'legit' with a successfully returned self-assessment at beginning of month, it seems I've been over-taxed and am due a rebate rather than a bill - What a lovely afternoon's work!

Just off to polish my halo....:>>