Self assessment online filing
The deadline for filing the 2009-10 self-assessment returns appeared to pass without any major incidents at the end of January. The use of the online service continues to grow year on year. This year a total of over 6.9 million online filings were made by the 31 January deadline. This is an increase of more than 7% from last year’s figures.
The highest numbers of returns were made, not surprisingly, on the 31 January 2011 when 572,455 online filings were made.
HMRC’s news release on the subject included some interesting statistics:
“Online self-assessment filing even continued over the Christmas holidays, with 845 people filing their returns online on Christmas Day; 2,408 on Boxing Day; 16,230 on New Year’s Eve; and 5,130 on New Year’s Day. In fact, 96 people put New Year celebrations to one side and filed their return between 11pm and midnight on 31 December 2010.”
Self-assessment returns that are filed after the 31 January 2011 deadline are subject to an automatic penalty of £100 with a further £100 penalty if a return is more than six months late. This is the last year in which the £100 penalties can be reduced if tax has been paid on account by the deadline. If there was no tax outstanding the penalties are (eventually) waived.