A depressing number of people spent their holidays doing taxes instead of celebrating. Over thirty-seven thousand taxpayers filed Self Assessment returns between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, with nearly five thousand completing the task on Christmas Day itself, according to new HMRC data. The peak filing hour on Christmas Eve was late morning, while Christmas Day saw a surge in submissions right after lunch.
With the January thirty-first deadline looming, HMRC is pushing people to file early to understand their tax bill and arrange payment plans, noting that returns submitted by December thirtieth might allow tax to be collected through a PAYE code. The department is promoting its app and online guidance while clarifying that Winter Fuel Payments received this autumn are not part of the current tax year's return.
For those who filed, it means starting the new year with one less administrative headache. For everyone else, the message is to avoid a last-minute panic and tackle the return now, transforming a festive chore into an early resolution.
With the January thirty-first deadline looming, HMRC is pushing people to file early to understand their tax bill and arrange payment plans, noting that returns submitted by December thirtieth might allow tax to be collected through a PAYE code. The department is promoting its app and online guidance while clarifying that Winter Fuel Payments received this autumn are not part of the current tax year's return.
For those who filed, it means starting the new year with one less administrative headache. For everyone else, the message is to avoid a last-minute panic and tackle the return now, transforming a festive chore into an early resolution.
