Downloads: Self-assessment

If you pay income tax and submit a self-assessment return for any reason, you can use a Taxation Trustto lawfully withhold your tax. Through your trust, you set aside your taxes until the government proves your money will only be used in line with international and UK law.

Use this lawful approach if you are self-employed and/or receive taxable income from property, investments, pensions, an inheritance, or other sources covered by HMRC’s self-assessment process. 

Step 1: Set up your Taxation Trust
Select the deed of trust version for your UK location, and then just follow the instructions. Fill in the gaps, print out your trust deed, get your signature witnessed, and put the document in a safe place. Do not send the original to HMRC or anyone else! Send copies of the witnessed document instead.

Step 2: Open your standalone bank account
You must keep your withheld tax separate from everyday income and expenditure — this is important. Opening a new bank account is the simplest solution.  

Step 3: Let HMRC know what you’re doing
Use the template letter to tell HMRC what you’re doing — and why. Follow the instructions and — with a copy of your witnessed deed of trust — send to everyone on the template list. Use Royal Mail’s signed-for service so you have a record of delivery.

Step 4: Keep a paper trail!
Make sure you have a record of everything you send to HMRC and all their replies — digital and on paper.

Step 5: Year-end action
At your trust’s termination date — usually 5 April, the end of the tax year — inform HMRC that you are not paying your tax as you’ve not had verifiable evidence that government funding for genocide and war crimes has ceased. Unless, of course, you have! In which case, send your ring-fenced funds to HMRC immediately and celebrate!

We go into much greater detail about this process in Setting Up a Trust, which which is also included in the downloads packs.