Nearly 12 million taxpayers made the self-assessment deadline

Of the 11.48 million taxpayers who filed and paid their tax returns by the deadline date, nearly 500,000 waited until the final day to complete theirs.

Self-assessment deadline date

HMRC figures show that more than 12 million taxpayers were expected to file a tax return and pay any tax owed for the 2024 to 2025 tax year by the 31^st of January 2026.

Just over 11.48 million people managed to beat the deadline, with 97.25% of tax returns filed online.

475,722 taxpayers were cutting it a bit fine and waited until the final day to file their return.

Data shows that on the day:

• 27,456 people submitted theirs in the final hour (23:00 to 23:59).
• The busiest hour for submitting a return was 17:00 to 17:59, when 32,982 people filed.
• HMRC advisers handled 5,409 webchats and 10,483 calls to the helplines, which, unusually, were opened on a Saturday to provide extra support to customers on the deadline day.

Late filing and late payment penalties

HMRC is urging anyone who still needs to file a return to meet their obligations as soon as possible, as late filing and payment penalties are charged.

The penalties for late tax returns are:

• An initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time
• After 3 months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
• After 6 months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
• After 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater

There are also additional penalties for paying late – 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. Interest will also be charged on any tax paid late.

For those who find themselves in a situation where they cannot pay in full, there are HMRC Time to Pay arrangements available to spread out the cost (if you meet the criteria).

To find out more about contracting, please contact Jaime on 01442 795 100 or email jaime.thorpe@dolanaccountancy.com.