Share fisherman: Income Tax and National Insurance contributions

You are a share fisherman if you work in the fishing industry and you:

• are not employed under a contract of service
• are a master or a crew-member of a British fishing boat manned by more than one person
• get all or part of your pay by sharing the profits or gross earnings of the fishing boat

You also count as a share fisherman if you used to work on a British fishing boat, but now work ashore in Great Britain. This could be making and mending gear or any other work for a British fishing boat.

Fishermen employed under a contract of service are not share fishermen.

Self Assessment

A share fisherman is classed as self-employed. You must register as self-employed with HMRC within 3 months of when you first started fishing.

Fill in a Self Assessment tax return

You must fill in a Self Assessment tax return each year. This is so that you can declare all of your income from any source, for example, self-employment, employment and Jobseeker’s Allowance, and claim any business expenses. You must keep business records to support information you put in your tax return.

Do not record any tax that has been deducted by your settling agent on your tax return.

Complete a S23/46G Share Fishermen return

Email 2021 to 2022 annual returns for share fishermen to: sharefishermennationaladminteamisbc@hmrc.gov.uk.

For further information Telephone: 03000 561605.

Pay Class 2 National Insurance

When you register as self-employed, you are also registering to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions. The rate you pay in the tax year 2022 to 2023 is £3.80 a week. This contributes towards the basic State Pension, the normal range of benefits for self-employed people, and Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance

If your Jobseeker’s Allowance claim date is between the first Sunday in January and 31 January, you will need to pay all the Class 2 National Insurance contributions asked for in your self-assessment tax return as soon as you can, if you have not done so already.

HMRC must receive the payment for these National Insurance contributions by no later than 31 January. This is to avoid a delay in getting the contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance you may be entitled to.

If you can only pay your Class 2 National Insurance and owe HMRC any other money, contact us first before making the payment. We will normally apply payments to your oldest debts first.