What is an SA302? A guide for the self-employed

You've found a mortgage you like. The adviser says, "Send me your SA302." You've filed a tax return every year. You have no idea what they mean.

So, what is an SA302? It's your proof of income. GOV.UK describes it as evidence of your earnings, and it's a tax calculation. It comes from the Self Assessment return you've already sent to HMRC.

What is an SA302 used for?

The main use is borrowing. GOV.UK says mortgage lenders and providers may ask for it, for example when a self-employed person applies for a mortgage.

That makes sense. If you're employed, you have payslips. If you're self-employed, you don't. The SA302 is the nearest thing. It shows what you told HMRC you earned and what tax came out of it.

GOV.UK adds one warning. Check that your provider accepts documents you've printed yourself. Some want them in a particular form. Ask before you spend an evening hunting for paperwork.

How do you get your SA302?

You print it yourself. There's no form to fill in. GOV.UK says how, and it depends on how you filed.

If you filed through HMRC's online services:

1. Sign in to your HMRC online account.
2. Open "Self Assessment".
3. Select "More details about your Self Assessment returns and payments".
4. Pick the tax year and print the calculation.

If you filed through commercial software: print the tax calculation from the software. GOV.UK says it may be called a "tax computation" there. If you get stuck, contact the software company.

You can only print it if you filed through HMRC's online services or commercial software. A paper return isn't covered by that route.

For sign-in, GOV.UK's HMRC online services page says you need either a Government Gateway user ID and password, or a GOV.UK One Login (an email address and a password). For personal tax services, One Login is the option to use. If you're new, choose "Create new sign in details" and follow the steps.

How soon after filing can you print it?

Not straight away. GOV.UK says you can't print your documents until 72 hours after you send your tax return.

So if a lender wants your SA302 for a deadline, don't file at the last minute. The Self Assessment deadline for the 2025 to 2026 tax year is 11:59pm on 31 January 2027 for an online return. Pay the tax by the same time. File on 30 January and you'll be waiting until early February for your proof.

How far back does it go?

GOV.UK says SA302s are available for the last 4 years, once you've sent your return. Say you're a cleaner who has filed for the past five years. The oldest year may already be gone. Print each one when you file, and save the PDF.

I'd do this every year, even if you're not planning to borrow. It takes two minutes. Finding last year's figure in a panic takes much longer. For more on this, see how to keep records as self-employed in the UK.

What is a tax year overview?

You'll often see it asked for alongside the SA302. GOV.UK describes a tax year overview as something you can print from your HMRC online account, even if you use commercial software for your return. It's available for any year.

That detail matters if you use software. You may be able to print the SA302 equivalent from the software, but the tax year overview comes from your HMRC account. So set up that account before you need it.

GOV.UK doesn't say what lenders do with the two documents, and it doesn't say that every lender wants both. Each lender sets its own rules. Ask yours which documents it needs, and for how many years.

What if the figures look wrong?

Check before you send anything to a lender. The SA302 shows what's in your return. If a number is wrong, the problem is in the return, not in the printout.

Say you're a dog walker who forgot to include a month of income. Your SA302 will show the lower figure, and so will anything a lender sees. Getting the return right matters more than the printout. My post on how to prepare for Self Assessment covers what to gather first.

My take

Self-employed people don't get payslips, so the SA302 does that job. It isn't hard to get. The trouble is that most people only learn about it when a lender asks, and then there's a 72-hour wait and a login they've forgotten.

Print it each year. Save it somewhere you'll find it. Keep your income records tidy all year, so the return is right and the SA302 shows what you actually earned.

At Vcents, we handle one part of that. When a customer pays through the link in WhatsApp, the payment goes straight to your bank account, and you have a clear record of what came in and when.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Get your SA302 tax calculation, fetched 8 November 2026
• GOV.UK: Self Assessment tax returns deadlines, fetched 8 November 2026
• GOV.UK: Sign in to or set up HMRC online services, fetched 8 November 2026