Still to do your Self Assessment tax return?

HM Revenue and Customs shares a few facts about Self-Assessment ahead of 31 January 2021 deadline

The Self Assessment deadline of 31 January is looming in less than a fortnight, so if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of taxpayers who has left it until the last minute, you need to act fast.

To jog customers into action, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has released data on when customers filed their tax return in 2020. If you file your Self Assessment tax return close to the wire, then you are not alone – HMRC reported that the busiest filing day in 2020 was 31 January when 702,171 people completed their online returns.

On the day itself, the number of people submitting their returns online peaked between 4pm and 4.59pm at 56,969 taxpayers.

But it appears that more people are keen to crack on and get their Self Assessment return filed as soon as possible. On 6 April 2020 – the first day of this tax year – 96,519 people had filed their tax returns.

It is only 20 years since taxpayers were able to complete their returns online. When it was first launched in 2001, 38,000 customers went for this paperless option.

HMRC expects more than 12.1 million people to complete a Self Assessment tax return for current tax year. According to figures released earlier this month, 55% of customers have already filed their returns, with more than 6.2 million choosing to submit online (93% of all returns filed).

What if I need help paying my tax on time?

• If you owe up to £30,000, you may be able to pay by instalments. To see if you are eligible, visit the government website to find out more about paying through instalments.
• Customers can also check on GOV.UK whether they need to declare, or possibly pay tax on any ‘casual’ income they receive.
• If you're self-employed and you need advice on delaying paying your tax bill, call the HMRC’s Payment Helpline on 0300 200 3835.

Find out why 25% of self-empoyed Brits plan to delay paying their tax bill.