IF you earned more than £1,000 in the last tax year from your side hustles, you need to register for self-assessment.

If you miss the October 5 deadline for registration and then fail to send in a tax return on time, you’ll likely face a fine.

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A side-hustle is something you do to earn extra income, such as selling things online, doing freelance work alongside your normal job, or making money from tasks like pet-sitting, dog walking, or babysitting.

How much you earn is important. If you make less than £1000 in a tax year from your hustle, it doesn’t count as taxable income, and you don’t have to declare it.

But, once you start making more than this, you need to register as self-employed and start paying tax on the money earned over this amount.

The threshold is based on your profit after deductible expenses. For instance, if you were making and selling jewellery, you can deduct the money you spent buying materials from how much you earned in total.

You only need to file and pay tax if your remaining profits are more than £1,000 for the year.

You also need to register if any of the following applied in the past year:

• you were a sole trader
• you were a partner in a business partnership
• you had a total taxable income of more than £150,000
• you had to pay Capital Gains Tax when you sold or ‘disposed of’ something that increased in value
• you had to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge

You might also need to register and send in a tax return if you have untaxed income, such as:

• money from renting out a property
• tips and commission
• income from savings, investments and dividends
• foreign income

And there are some scenarios where you don’t need to send in a return, but might choose to anyway. For instance, if you want to:

• claim some Income Tax reliefs
• prove you’re self-employed, for example to claim Tax-Free Childcare or Maternity Allowance
• pay voluntary National Insurance contributions

You can check if you need to do self-assessment with the Government’s online tool.

The deadline for registering is October 5. There’s no penalty for registering after this, but if you haven’t signed up, filed your tax return, and paid your bill by January 31 you will be fined.

If you do miss the October 5 deadline, you should sign up as soon as possible. This means you’ll be set up and able to file your return in time.

There are two key deadlines for actually submitting the return. If you want to file a paper return, it needs to be in by October 31. If you’re submitting online, you have until January 31.

If you miss the deadline for filing, you face an immediate £100 fine. If your return is more than three months late, you’ll then have to pay an additional £10 a day for a maximum of 90 days.

If you’re more than six months late, you pay a fine worth 5% of your total tax bill – or £300, whichever is higher – and then if you’re 12 months late you’ll have another fine worth the higher of 5% or £300.

You also need to pay everything you owe by January 31, or you’ll also face a late payment fine.

If you’re more than 30 days late, you need to pay 5% of the tax due as a fine.

If you’re six months late you pay another fine worth 5% of the tax outstanding and then the same again at 12 months.

HMRC charge interest on late tax payments. The interest is charged from the date the payment became due until the date of payment and is added automatically.

There is a helpful calculator on the gov.uk website that you can use to calculate what your late payment fees will be, if you miss the deadline.

You can challenge any penalties if you have a reasonable excuse. You usually have 30 days from the date your penalty was issued to contact HMRC or make an appeal. If you miss the deadline, you’ll need to give a reason.

The taxman says examples of reasonable excuses include:

• your partner or another close relative died shortly before the tax return or payment deadline
• you had an unexpected stay in hospital that prevented you from dealing with your tax affairs
• you had a serious or life-threatening illness
• your computer or software failed while you were preparing your online return
• issues with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) online services
• a fire, flood or theft prevented you from completing your tax return
• postal delays that you could not have predicted
• delays related to a disability or mental illness you have
• you were unaware of or misunderstood your legal obligation
• you relied on someone else to send your return, and they did not

Whatever the reason, you must send your return or payment as soon as you can.

THOUSANDS of households have been warned to act now to receive £200 of free cash to help with energy and shopping bills.

A cost-of-living support scheme has now been extended for the sixth time, but Brits must get their applications in quickly to benefit.

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The Household Support Fund (HSF) was set up by the Government back in 2021 to help those struggling with rapidly rising inflation.

At the peak of the crisis, the average household’s annual energy bill under the Ofgem price cap rose to over £4,000.

The fund was originally set to run out after about six months, but it has been refreshed in every Budget since then.

The latest round of cash will see the end of the scheme pushed back from next week to Spring 2025.

An extra £421 million is being added to the pot between October 2024 and April 2025.

Funding comes from the Department for Work and Pensions, but the HSF is administered and distributed by local councils.

This means that each area has its own deadlines and criteria to access the money.

Thousands of households under the umbrella of Birmingham City Council have just days left to get their claims submitted.

Those eligible can receive up to £200, which can be put towards food or energy bills, as well as costs for “essential goods” like water.

Applications can be submitted by filling out the Hardship Grant Community Fund expression of interest form on the council’s website or by calling 0121 634 7100.

In order to qualify you must:

• Be a Birmingham resident
• Be experiencing “financial hardship” in relation to essential costs
• Not have received a £200 grant payment in the past 12 months

You may also be required to submit proof of address and benefits if you are receiving them.

However, HSF payments do not affect your eligibility for means-tested benefits and Universal Credit.

The council also confirmed that the funding would not be affected by the Section 114 notice, which declared it effectively bankrupt.

Once you have submitted the form, the council will assess your application and email you about next steps.

Applications close on Monday September 30.

SHOPPERS have been rushing down to a major supermarket to sweep £2 Lurpak from the shelves with a stunning half-price deal.

Customers joked that they were stocking up with “10 in the freezer” as the incredible price cut spread on social media.

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It wasn’t long ago that a tub of the delicious spread, a staple in many Brits’ fridges, was going for upwards of £7.

At one point, Asda even slapped security tags on the product as supply chain issues spiked prices.

And buyers were squeezed even further when it was revealed that a trio of Lurpak’s competitors shrank from 500g to 450g for the same price.

That makes the latest deal all the more remarkable after it was posted on Facebook in a “supermarket deals and offers” group.

One lucky shopper snapped a photo of 400g tubs or Lurpak on sale in Sainsbury’s for just £4 each.

And if you are signed up for a Nectar card, you can get 50% off with Nectar price.

That’s a drop of over £5 a tub in the last couple of years.

The happy customer who posted the photo joked: “[I’ve] got 10 in the freezer.”

Understandably, the news generated plenty of excitement, with the post amassing 117 comments.

One commenter wrote: “Thank you for letting us know.”

Another begged: “Which store?”

And a third desperately asked when the offer would run out.

However, there were some who pointed out that Sainsbury’s own brand version, Buttersoft, was cheaper even than the Nectar-priced Lurpak at £2.09 for 500g.

In practice, that means that spending £8.36 on Buttersoft would get you the same quantity as £ 10 worth of Lurpak.

But for those committed to the real thing, the deal still represents a big saving (and gets you Nectar points into the bargain).

It comes after we revealed the supermarket baked beans that were ranked better than Heinz or Branston in a taste test.

SAM Jackman would never have been able to afford to build her own home had she not inherited a derelict bungalow and plot.

Back in 2014, the 41-year-old was extremely lucky to have the run-down property in Calstock, Cornwall, where she grew up, gifted to her by her parents.

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When Sam was given the plot of land by her father as an early inheritance, it had a run-down prefab bungalow on it, along with a dilapidated workshop space.

The former teacher and art museum worker, who now owns her own business, We Wear Boost, told The Sun: “My father was not keen on doing up a property himself, given the effort required, so wanted to pass it on.

“As I’m an only child, he gave me the opportunity to do it instead.

“As I didn’t have to purchase the plot, this saved me a major expense, meaning all money could be channelled into the self-build.”

Sam’s original plan had been to completely gut the bungalow and renovate it.

But, once she discovered there were asbestos issues and after speaking to some experts, she realised it would cost roughly the same to tear it down and build a new home from scratch.

It took Sam around 12 months to build her own home on a budget after planning permission was granted, costing around £180,000 in total.

She has now lived there for just under a decade along with her partner, David, and their son, Charlie, 14 – and she absolutely loves it.

Financing the project

But financing the project was no mean feat.

“Initially, I thought I’d just get a self-build mortgage,” she said. “But trying to get this over the line turned out to be really difficult.”

The couple also contemplated selling their home to release equity. At the time, Sam, her partner and son were living near Callington, just a few miles away from Calstock.

“I soon realised that I’d need to sell our home to help fund the build, because the mortgage kept falling through,” she said.

“I put it on the market expecting it to take a few months to sell, but we received a full asking price offer within two days – and were asked to move out within a week.”

As Sam needed the money from the house sale, she agreed.

“But I’d effectively made us homeless,” she said. “Then suddenly, the stars aligned, and we found out my aunt had a rental property nearby that we could move into.”

This allowed Sam to sell her home and release around £30,000 in equity. In addition, she then took out a bridging loan for around £100,000. 

“The rate on this was quite expensive, but it was only temporary, so it was affordable in the short term,” she said.

“Fortunately, as the self-build took shape, getting finance became easier.

“Once the property had bathrooms and a kitchen it became possible to get a ‘normal’ residential mortgage with a much more competitive rate.”

Breaking down the costs

One of the biggest expenses for Sam’s project was site clearance.

“I reckon I paid out about £45,000 on the preparatory work,” she said.

“This included things such as asbestos surveys, which came in at around £6,000, and landscaping, which cost around £20,000. Then, once the actual build began, things felt as though they were progressing.”

Specialists had to be brought in for jobs such as the electrics and plumbing, too.

How Sam saved money on her build

But, Sam was very efficient when it came to buying fixtures and fittings, which massively brought down her costs.

And a key part of Sam’s success in keeping costs down throughout the build was budgeting very carefully.

She said: “I was very honest with myself about the amount I had to spend in total, and therefore very disciplined about only choosing fixtures and fittings that were affordable.

“I decided not to go for high-end, and instead, opted for things like a ‘ready-made’ Howdens kitchen and Karndean vinyl flooring, which is easy to install and really hard-wearing too.”

She also focused on making it energy-efficient from the get-go to save money on her bills once she started living there.

“We opted for an air source heat pump,” she explained.

“As the property didn’t have gas, I thought the pump was worth investing in.

“We got solar panels installed, too, which have helped us save on our electricity bills.”

Another of Sam’s clever money-saving ideas was to host ‘painting parties,’ where friends and neighbours came to help with the decorating.

“When you’ve got to paint a large three-bed property entirely from scratch, you realise it’s going to take ages,” she said. “But with everyone chipping in, the job got done far more quickly and cheaply.”

She also opted to just have three larger bedrooms rather than more smaller bedrooms, which was actually more cost-efficient.

Instead, she spent that money on things she really wanted.

“The house also has a beautiful fireplace, underfloor heating and huge windows to enjoy the far-reaching views,” she explained.

Having land around the property has meant Sam has had room to expand over time, too.

How to keep costs down on a self-build

Marc von Grundherr, director of property firm Denham and Reeves, said it’s important to prioritise spending money on more difficult tasks, while tackling easier tasks yourself to cut costs.

“Painting, clearing, even basic landscaping of the garden are all achievable tasks that can be accomplished with time and effort,” he said.

“The more important aspects of a home, such as gas, electric and plumbing are always best left to a professional.”

Meanwhile, Tarquin Purdue, CEO of HaMuch.com, said materials can make a huge difference to how much a build costs.

“Materials make a huge difference to cost, especially during a property renovation, and the professionals will always ensure they use the right materials based on the budget they are given – so why wouldn’t you do the same? 

“Researching local suppliers, compare prices and look for deals, discounts and sales. It all adds up and it will give you a comprehensive view of what you can get from where and for the lowest price.

“If you are tight for cash, consider the next best alternative. Laminate flooring over hardwood, tiles flooring over marble, granite kitchen tops instead of quartz, composite decking over real wood or matte paint over expensive wallpaper.”

Inside the ‘saddest’ Grand Designs house

Savills’s listing reads: “The property represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take on and finish the specification and fit out of one of the UK’s most spectacularly situated coastal homes.

“The bespoke design has been brought to life through impressive engineering, with the building being anchored to the bedrock, blending whitewashed elevations with steel and glass, culminating with a lighthouse feature at one end giving almost 360-degree views of the coastline.

“The position combines privacy with a diverse range of breath-taking views, all set in around 3 acres, which includes a large area of foreshore, a private tidal beach area and coves.”

The property is set in three acres of land and is equipped with an infinity pool and a hot tub as well as a spacious driveway.

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Nic Chbat, director of Match Property estate agents in North Devon, who previously assisted with finding a buyer last year said at the time the sale stalled after the timeframe for the sale “expired”.

He added the previous buyer was “still wanting to buy the property,” and the sale was still expected to proceed.

The new listing though would suggest the purchase was never made with the sale now being handled by London-based estate agents Savills.

A spokeswoman for both Savills and the receivers Bellevue Mortlakes said: “The sale represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase one of the UK’s most spectacularly situated coastal homes and for the buyer to put the finishing touches to the property’s interior to their own specification.

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“The current sale price (offers in excess of £5.25m) represents fair value noting the prevailing economic and heterogeneous nature of this opportunity.

“The property has panoramic sea views and is set in grounds of over three acres, including foreshore and a tidal beach, with accommodation extending to over 6,260 sq ft.

“The detached guest lodge/holiday let accommodation extends to about 1,270 sq ft and is included in the sale price.

“Subject to registration with the agents, the receiver has provided an extensive suite of information and supporting documentation relating to the building’s history, construction and title, which are available via an online data room.”

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THOUSANDS of Brits across the UK are eligible to receive up to 50% off their first home – but may not even realise it.

With house prices steadily rising again, it’s more important than ever that first time buyers take advantage of whatever support is available to help them get on the housing ladder.

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Yet, thousands of young people could be missing out because they simply don’t realise they’re eligible.

Fiona Peake, personal finance and consumer expert at Ocean Finance, said: “Many UK residents may not realise they’re eligible for first-time buyer schemes, which can be a real game-changer for getting on the property ladder.

“Based on our [recent] survey, an estimated 50% of first-time buyers could be missing out on these government initiatives, simply because they’re unaware of them or assume they wouldn’t qualify.”

There are a number of schemes that give people a discount on their first home.

But one particular scheme, the First Homes Scheme, allows first-time buyers to pick up a new-build home built by a developer for a whopping 30% to 50% off the asking price.

The scheme, which launched back in June 2021, also allows a buyer to purchase a home through an estate agent, provided that the home was previously acquired through the scheme.

But who is eligible and how do they apply?

Who is eligible for the First Homes Scheme?

The First Homes scheme is eligible for first-time buyers across England who meet certain criteria.

In order to qualify, a buyer must be able to get a mortgage for at least half the price of the home.

The new home also needs to cost less than £250,000 after the discount has been applied, or £420,000 in London.

And the collective household income of the buyer, or buyers, purchasing the home must not exceed £80,000 a year before tax, or £90,000 if they are buying in London.

In some cases, local councils may prioritise giving First Homes discounts to key workers, people who already live in the purchase area, or those on lower incomes.

For those in the armed forces and their relatives, exemptions do apply.

How do you apply?

In order to access the scheme, typically a first-time buyer will need to contact a new-build developer and tell them they would like to buy through the housing scheme.

If you’re purchasing from a previous First Homes buyer, you will need to contact their estate agent and say you intend to buy through the scheme. 

Once you have been confirmed as having passed the eligibility criteria, they will help you complete your application. 

In some cases, you may need to pay a reservation fee if the property is a new build. Don’t worry though, you will get the fee back if your application isn’t successful.

Developers may also offer you incentives such as free goods or cash back, but these are unlikely to be worth more than 5% of the discounted purchase price.

How does the First Homes scheme work?

The First Homes scheme is designed to assist first-time buyers onto the housing ladder in an increasingly difficult market.

The average house price in the UK is £287,924, according to the latest data from Land Registry.

This means that through the First Homes scheme, a buyer could expect to save between £86,377 and £143,962 on their first home.

However, there are some pros and cons to consider before buying through the scheme:

Pros

• You don’t need such a big deposit
• You can take out a smaller mortgage, meaning smaller monthly repayments

Cons

• When you sell the home, you must pass the discount onto the buyer
• You can typically only sell to someone else who is eligible for the scheme
• You can only find eligible properties by checking with local developers

What other schemes are available?

The mortgage guarantee scheme

The mortgage guarantee scheme has encouraged more banks and building societies to offer 95% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages, meaning you only need a 5% deposit. 

This scheme is available for both first-time buyers and second steppers across the UK. One caveat is the property must not cost more than £600,000 and it must be your only home.

We recently revealed how this scheme is very under-utilised, accounting for just 3.8% of transactions for 18-30-year-olds between 2021 and 2023.

The Shared Ownership scheme

Shared ownership is designed to help people on low incomes in England through purchasing part of the property and renting the rest.

You can start with as little as 10% and increase the part you own when you can afford to, which is known as ‘staircasing’.

The other benefit here is that you only pay a deposit on the share of the property you are buying. 

To be eligible for the scheme you must have a total household income of less than £80,000 a year, rising to £90,000 in London.

The Lifetime ISA

The Lifetime ISA is there to help first-time buyers save for a deposit by topping up their savings by 25%, or to aid in retirement. 

As part of the terms, an account holder can save up to £4,000 a year, which the government will add a 25% bonus to.

In more good news, any interest an account holder incurs is tax free.

In order to be eligible to receive the bonus, you must use the money to buy your first house up to a maximum £450,000 purchase price, or to aid your retirement.

Interested parties can only open the account between 18 and 39, but you can keep paying into it until 50.

Help to Build: Equity loan

The Help to Build: Equity loan scheme is a government initiative for those who wish to build their own home or convert a commercial property into one.

This option is for both first-time buyers and those looking for their second home.

The Government will top up a buyer’s deposit with a loan that is interest free for five years.

The equity loan amount of the total estimated cost can vary however, ranging from 5% to 20%, and rising to 40% in London.

To access the initiative, you must apply for a self-build mortgage from an approved lender first, and then apply for a Help to Build loan.

As you progress through the build you will receive parts of the mortgage to cover the costs, and the build must be complete within three years.

A MAJOR supermarket is set to make a change to 53 of its stores ahead of a nationwide expansion next month.

Iceland has partnered with the food delivery service Deliveroo as part of the latest expansion of its rapid delivery offer.

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And the frozen food retailer is now offering the service at 53 of its UK stores.

Under the plan, the supermarket chain will expand to its 800 Iceland and Food Warehouse stores by the end of October.

More than 3,000 Iceland products are understood to be available to buy through Deliveroo.

You can nab Iceland’s full range of essentials, frozen and fresh groceries from the click of a button.

Iceland says shoppers will be able to receive their orders within 25 minutes under the new partnership.

Products from the retailer’s brand connections such as Greggs and Myprotein are also available to order.

Amazon Prime customers in Manchester and London can also have Iceland food delivered through its third-party deal with Amazon.

Iceland and Food Warehouses already offer deliveries through Just Eat and Uber Eats and also offer a next day and same day delivery service itself.

Justin Addison, Iceland Foods international and partnerships director said: “We’re dedicated to making sure our customers can enjoy our innovative, value-driven range of products, no matter where they are.

“This past year has been a real moment of growth for Iceland and The Food Warehouse, and we’re thrilled to add Deliveroo to our list of partners.

“More customers across the UK will now be able to easily access their favourite Iceland products from the comfort of their own homes.”

Suzy McClintock, Deliveroo VP of new verticals added: “We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Iceland, bringing thousands of fantastic products to customers across the UK in as little as 25 minutes.

“As demand for convenient grocery delivery grows, this partnership means even more households can access their Iceland favourites quickly and easily via our app, including thousands of great value products.”

It comes as Iceland revealed its Christmas 2024 range and it includes a pigs in blankets Yorkshire pudding.

The big day is still a while away, but it’s always good to plan ahead for the merry season.

Luckily, Iceland has unveiled its Christmas menu which will be available in stores and online from November 12.

The items will also be available to buy at Iceland’s The Food Warehouse.

Iceland‘s menu this year offers customers everything they’ll need for Christmas lunch or dinner, but there are some quirky items included as well in case you’re after something a bit different.

Shoppers will be able to feast on mini fish, chip and ketchup sarnies, prawn tacos and an unbelievable XXL pigs in blankets Yorkshire pudding.

The supermarket is also launching battered lobster tails, mini garlic and herb kievs and even some exclusive brand items like Harry Ramsden’s battered mini sausages.

Also returning are familiar favourites such as the turkey crown, mince pies, Christmas pudding and of course all the trimmings like roast potatoes and veg.

Those who want to feast on the exclusive brand’s range like Galaxy, TGI Fridays and Harry Ramsden’s can do so with the mix-and-match deals like three items for £10.

Iceland’s head of development David Lennox said: “We’ve focused on perfecting the classics and making them the best and most delicious yet, as well as offering our customers a range of innovative and affordable new Christmas products which are sure to delight everyone at the dinner table.

“Iceland has some extra special products on offer this festive season.”

How to save money on your food shop

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:

Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.

Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.

Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.

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Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.

Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.

Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.

Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.

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Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.

But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.

Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.

“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.

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The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.