04 02 2019

Tax return deadline is missed by 700,000

A total of 700,000 people missed the deadline for submitting their self-assessment tax returns, according to HM Revenue and Customs.

This was little changed from the 746,000 who missed it a year ago.

More than 12 million people, many of whom are self-employed or have more than one source of income, are required to complete a tax return.

The deadline for paper returns for the 2017-18 financial year was in the autumn. The deadline for online returns was the end of 31 January.

The peak time for submitting was between 16:00 and 17:00 GMT on Thursday when 60,000 people filed.

Those who missed the deadline face a penalty of £100 during the first three months after the cut-off.

After three months, additional penalties of £10 per day can be demanded, up to a maximum of £900, followed by further charges six and 12 months after the deadline.