Part-time students

Updated on 12 April 2023

Types of student

You are a part-time student if you are a student and you are not enrolled on a full-time course. This should be clear from your course material.

You may have chosen to spread your course over a longer period of time, or the course may have been set up as a part-time learning course. 

Illustration of a student sitting in front of a computer

What will cause me to interact with the tax system?

As a part-time student, you may have time to become involved in other things such as working or volunteering. You might also be taking part in employer-sponsored training, be an apprentice or a sandwich course student. Perhaps you have caring responsibilities that take up some of your time.

Any of these activities may cause you to interact with the tax system.

I am a carer as well as a student. What help is available?

You may have caring responsibilities to manage on top of your studying. This can be caring for a child, a parent, a partner, a sibling or another friend or relative. If you are in this position, you are not alone.

The extent of the caring required will vary, but for some students this will take up a large amount of time.

The Government’s GOV.UK website has a lot of information about benefits. It also has links to online benefits calculators, and while these calculators may not be useful for you as a student they may be helpful for the person you are caring for.

However, in order to ensure you and the person you are caring for obtain all the benefits you are entitled to, based on your individual circumstances, we recommend you speak to a local welfare advice agency. Our Getting Help pages give information on how to find an adviser.

You can find more information on carer’s allowance in our tax credits and benefits section; if you live in Scotland you may also be entitled to the carer’s allowance supplement.

Where can I find further help and information?

Elsewhere on this website you can find information on the following topics that may be of relevance to you as a part-time student:

Checking you are paying the correct amount of tax if you are working
Checking you are fulfilling your tax obligations if you are self-employed
Checking your tax position if you have been made redundant
How does volunteering affect my tax position?
Apprenticeships and other employer-sponsored training
Claiming social security benefits, tax credits and universal credit
Checking whether your household is paying the correct amount of council tax

Tax guides

Introduction to the tax system How do I work out my tax? What income is taxable? What tax allowances am I entitled to? What tax rates apply to me? How is my tax collected? What if I cannot pay my tax bill? Do I need to complete a tax return? Self Assessment: understanding the basics What is Simple Assessment? How do I claim tax back? How do I claim back tax I have overpaid through PAYE on wages or pensions? How do I claim back tax if I complete a tax return? How do I claim back tax if I am taxed under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)? How do I claim back tax on savings income? How do I claim a marriage allowance refund? How do I claim back tax on a payment protection insurance (PPI) pay-out? Should I use a tax refund company? What is National Insurance? How do I get a National Insurance number? What are Specified Adult Childcare credits? What is Scottish income tax? What is devolution? Do I have to pay Scottish income tax? How does Scottish income tax work? What is Welsh income tax? Do I have to pay Welsh income tax? Do I have to join a pension scheme? Tax relief on your pension contributions HMRC digital services Enquiries, penalties, appeals, complaints and debt Enquiries How to survive an enquiry by HMRC Tax penalties Tax appeals Alternative Dispute Resolution How do I complain to HMRC? What if I cannot pay my tax bill? What if I have a tax credits overpayment?

Am I employed, self-employed, both or neither? Working through a limited company What is the national minimum wage? How do I work out my tax? What income is taxable? What tax allowances am I entitled to? What tax rates apply to me? How is my tax collected? How is tax collected on taxable state benefits? How do I check my coding notice? Do I need to complete a tax return? What tax do I pay on redundancy payments?Employment benefits and expenses What are benefits-in-kind? What payments and benefits are non taxable? What if I incur expenses in relation to my job? What travel expenses can I claim? What if I use my own car for business purposes? Payroll giving Allowances and expenses paid to armed forces personnel and deductions from their income Pensions and employees What is automatic enrolment for employees? What National Insurance do I pay as an employee? How do I repay my student loan? What if I do not pay enough tax? What if I pay too much tax? What if I work abroad temporarily? What if I am in the armed forces and work overseas? First time workers Apprenticeships

Am I employed, self-employed, both, or neither? How do I register for tax and National Insurance? What business records should I keep? Working out profits, losses and capital allowances When do I make Self Assessment payments and file my tax return? How do I pay tax on self-employed income? What tax allowances am I entitled to? What is the trading allowance? What National Insurance do I pay if I am self-employed? What is the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)? Tax checks for taxi, private hire and scrap metal licences How do I work out my profits for universal credit? Do I have to pay VAT if I am self-employed? What is Making Tax Digital for VAT? Pensions and self-employment How do I repay my student loan if I am self-employed? Introduction to enquiries

Tax status Setting things up How the Pay As You Earn system works Taking on a new employee Reporting PAYE in real time Pay and deductions Ongoing payroll tasks End of year processes Employee leaving Employment law Keeping records Getting things wrong Getting more help

Can I live and work in the UK? Residence and Domicile Employment and self-employment National Insurance for migrants Coming to the UK to study Other migrant issues EU and EEA countries

Going abroad Other income Student loans Types of student Volunteering and training Working Do students have to pay council tax? Glossary of Forms Jargon buster Where can I get further help and information?

Help for employees and the self-employed Help for employers Independent living Caring for someone VAT reliefs for disabled and older people Trusts for disabled people Apprenticeships and disability

Savings and tax Property income Council tax and rates Giving to charity Income from a trust or from the estate of a deceased person Capital gains tax Cryptoassets and tax Do I need to register my trust?

Tax credits and benefits Tax credits State benefits Child benefit Universal credit

Employer-supported childcare Free childcare places Tax credits childcare support Universal credit Other childcare support Tax-free childcare

Taxes on death: overview Dealing with the deceased's own tax affairs Tax on income and gains after death Death of a spouse or civil partner Joint property on death Pension and life assurance policies on death Income from a deceased's person's estate Inheritance tax reliefs and exemptions State benefits on death Getting help with bereavement and inheritance tax Bereavement jargon buster

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