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What is an SA302?

January 16, 2023

What is an SA302?

The SA302 form contains an official tax calculation from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that proves how much you’ve earned based on your latest Self Assessment tax return. If you’re self-employed, it will show evidence of your earnings and the Income Tax you’ve paid in the previous 4 years.

In this article, we’ll dive into what’s on your SA302 tax calculation, why you may need proof of your self-employment income and how you can access a copy of your SA302 form.

What is an SA302 used for?

If you’re a self-employed sole trader or running a side hustle, an SA302 acts as proof of income, showing how much taxable income you’ve earned outside of PAYE (Pay As You Earn). This information can be used by a mortgage lender to decide whether you’re eligible for a mortgage application, or can purchase certain mortgage products.

It may also be required by a bank or other lender if you wish to apply for a business or personal loan, as they will want to ensure you are able to afford the monthly payments.
At GOV.UK, you can find a list of mortgage providers and lenders who accept printed summaries as proof of earnings, so you can check before you apply for a mortgage or business loan.

Tax year overview

While an SA302 form acts as a certificate for the total income you’ve declared in a given tax year, it also works in partnership with another document called the HMRC Tax Year Overview.As well as your SA302 form, lenders will also ask to see your HMRC Tax Year Overview.
You can access your Tax Year Overview at GOV.UK by taking the following steps:

    Log into your HMRC online tax account Select Self Assessment (if you are only registered for Self Assessment, then you’ll automatically be directed to this screen) Select Self Assessment Overview Select View Account Follow the link Tax Years Select the year from the drop-down menu and click the Go button Follow the link Print your Tax Year Overview

What information does SA302 contain?

On your SA302, you’ll find the details around your SA302 tax calculation, as well as more Self Assessment details, such as:
    pay from any employment profit from self-employment profit from UK land and property dividends you’ve received from companies details of UK pension and benefits Income Tax calculations

How can I access my SA302?

How you access your SA302 depends on your chosen way of filing your Self Assessment tax return. If you filed a paper tax return, you’ll automatically be sent your SA302 in the post, or can use HMRC’s online services or third-party commercial accounting software (such as Ember) to download your SA302 online.Keep in mind you have to wait at least 72 hours after submitting your Self Assessment tax return before you can print your SA302 and other documents.

Accessing your SA302 from HMRC’s online services

You can download and print your SA302 form as follows:
    Log in to your HMRC online account using your Government Gateway account details Go to Self Assessment Click More Assessment Details Download and print your SA302 from here
Top tip: if you require an SA302 for a different tax year, simply click Tax Return options in the menu, then select the relevant year.

Getting your SA302 using commercial software

If you use commercial software for your small business accounting (such as Ember), you should be able to find your SA302 using your chosen accounting software.

This should be visible in your tax breakdown dashboard, but may be found under a different name, such as ‘tax computation’. In the unlikely event that your accounting software isn’t able to print your evidence of earnings, HMRC’s online services can guide you through the process.

Telephone support

If you opted to file a paper tax return, you’ll automatically be sent your SA302 form in the post. If you lose this document, you can contact HMRC on 0300 200 3310, who will ask for your National Insurance number, as well as your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). You can find this reference quoted in a number of places, including:

    Your SA250 or your Welcome to Self Assessment letterPrevious Self Assessment tax returnsReminders of paymentYour notice to file a tax returnYour statement of accountHMRC app