Taxpayers have just eight days left to file their self assessment tax return before the 31 January deadline, as HM Revenue & Customs warned that late submissions will trigger an automatic £100 penalty.
HMRC said more than 11.5 million people successfully filed by the deadline last year and is urging the estimated 3.3 million taxpayers who have yet to submit their return this year to act now to avoid fines and interest charges.
Those who have not started their return can access support through GOV.UK, including step-by-step guidance, webinars and YouTube videos. HMRC’s online services are available 24 hours a day, allowing customers to file at a time that suits them.
Once a return has been submitted, HMRC said the quickest and easiest way to pay any tax owed is via the free HMRC app, which takes less than a minute to use. Alternative payment options are also listed on GOV.UK.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s chief customer officer, urged taxpayers not to leave it until the last minute.
“Don’t leave it until deadline day,” she said. “Filing now will give you peace of mind that your tax return is completed and, if you have tax to pay, you have a week to arrange payment.
“If you’re worried about paying your tax bill, you may be able to set up a payment plan online – search ‘difficulties paying HMRC’ on GOV.UK.”
This year’s self assessment deadline falls on a Saturday. HMRC’s phone lines are open Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm, but will close on Friday 30 January and reopen on Monday 2 February, after the deadline has passed. Taxpayers who need to speak to an adviser are therefore being urged to call before Friday. On Saturday 31 January, HMRC will provide webchat support via its Online Services Helpdesk.
HMRC also set out the penalties for missing the deadline. Anyone who files late will face an initial £100 fixed penalty, even if there is no tax to pay or if the tax due is paid on time. After three months, daily penalties of £10 per day apply, up to a maximum of £900. Further penalties apply after six months and 12 months, amounting to either £300 or 5 per cent of the tax due, whichever is greater.
Additional penalties apply for paying tax late, charged at 5 per cent of the unpaid amount after 30 days, six months and 12 months, with interest added on top. HMRC said it will consider appeals from taxpayers who miss the deadline due to a reasonable excuse.
Looking ahead, HMRC also reminded taxpayers that major changes are on the way. From 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 will be required to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, submitting quarterly summaries of income and expenses.
HMRC is encouraging those affected to sign up early to familiarise themselves with the new system and prepare for the transition.
The tax authority also confirmed that customers do not need to include their 2025 Winter Fuel Payment, or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment in Scotland, on their 2024–25 tax return. Payments made in autumn 2025 will instead be accounted for in the 2025–26 return, due by 31 January 2027.
With the deadline fast approaching, HMRC is urging anyone who has yet to file to act now to avoid penalties and unnecessary stress.
