Reminder: the paper self-assessment deadline is just around the corner
If you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way using a good old pen and paper, the self-assessment deadline on your tax return will need to be with HMRC by Saturday 31st October. If you miss the deadline you might find yourself £100 out of pocket.
If you’re worried you’ve left it too late or confused about what to do, read on for some handy pointers…
What do I need to do?
If you’re wanting to submit your tax return by post, you’ll need to have registered with HMRC by now. Just get everything ready and make sure it gets to HMRC before midnight on 31st October so you don’t get stung with a £100 fine. If you haven’t registered, don’t panic – you still have the option to submit online.
Help! There’s no way I’ll be ready to submit before 31st October.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to get your tax return to HMRC by 31st October, it’s better not to try and send it. If it’s late, you’ll get an automatic £100 fine and you’ll also be penalised if it’s incomplete.
Don’t worry if this is the case. It’s not necessarily the end of the world. There are actually two tax return deadlines. The first self-assessment deadline (31st October) is for traditional types who prefer paper returns, while the other later deadline (31st January) is for people who would rather do everything online.
You can change your mind and submit your tax return online at any point, even if you’ve already told HMRC you’ll be sending it by post. Just make sure you register for this ahead of the January deadline. We recommend giving yourself at least a month so you get your activation code in good time.
Need more help?
If you need a bit of help completing your tax return, just give one of our experts a call on 0800 073 1218 or head over to our handy calculator to find out how much you could get.