HMRC advises customers to prepare for upcoming self-assessment deadline
08 January 2020
HMRC has issued a reminder to customers to ensure that they complete their Self-Assessment tax returns prior to the deadline on 31 January 2020. Payment of any tax due is also required on this date.
Approximately 54% of those impacted have already filed their returns - 5.6 million of those completed their returns online, equalling 89% of the total received to date. 3,003 individuals actually completed their return on Christmas Day!
Individuals are required to complete a tax return if they:
- Received more than £2,500 in untaxed income, including from tips or commission, from money obtained through renting out a property, income from savings, investments and dividends or from foreign income
- Are a partner in a business partnership
- Are classed as self-employed sole traders who earned over £1,000
- Or their partner received Child Benefit and either of them had annual income over £50,000
- Are employees claiming expenses over £2,500
- Received an annual income of over £100,000
For individuals who have not yet started their 2018/2019 Self-Assessment, there a range of resources offered by HMRC to help them with the process. There are webinars and videos available online to assist with each step of the process. The guidance is aimed to suit a variety of different circumstances, and there is a video specifically aimed at those who are completing a tax return for the first time.
Help can be found on the GOV.UK pages and there is also a dedicated Self-Assessment helpline, the number for which is 0300 200 3310. Social media is a good additional tool for guidance and advice.
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said:
“The Self Assessment deadline on 31 January is fast approaching so customers have just under a month left to file their tax returns online to avoid any unnecessary penalties. Any tax due is also payable by 31 January. We know that can be a worry, and not only when large sums are involved, so I would urge anyone who is expecting to find it difficult to pay their tax to get in touch with us as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to help and provide practical support.
If you are completing Self Assessment for the first time or are yet to start your 2018/19 tax return, there is a wide range of support and guidance available on GOV.UK to help at every stage of the process.”
Customers still need to complete a 2018/2019 if they completed a Self-Assessment tax return last year and had no tax to pay unless HMRC have directly contacted them to confirm that it is not required. If you have any doubt at all over whether or not you should be filing a tax return, you should use the tool provided here.
The initial penalty for missing a tax return filing date is £100 if it is up to three months late but the penalties can increase substantially after this point, so it is imperative to ensure you meet the deadline.
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