The easiest way to survive self-assessment is to stop treating January as the month when bookkeeping begins. Give every invoice and receipt a home as soon as it arrives, and the return becomes a review exercise instead of a rescue mission.
Set a monthly cut-off for checking uncategorised transactions, missing receipts and mileage. If somebody else prepares your return, give them access early enough to query unusual items while the context is still fresh.
Baxter captures documents from email and WhatsApp, organises them by date and flags anything it cannot read. That keeps the evidence beside the numbers and makes the final accountant hand-off much cleaner.
QUICK CHECKLIST
- ✓Capture receipts throughout the year
- ✓Review exceptions once a month
- ✓Share records before the January rush
General information only, not tax or accounting advice. Ask a qualified adviser about your circumstances.