HMRC Issues E-Filing Deadline Warning

by Robert Lee, Tax-News.com, London

19 January 2012

The UK's first-time Self Assessment filers must register for e-filing by the end of this week or face being unable to send their tax return on time.

Those filing online for the first time must register for the service by Saturday January 21, to allow enough time for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to post an Activation Code ahead of the impending tax return deadline. Tax returns for the 2010/11 tax year must be sent online to HMRC by January 31.

HMRC has issued a reminder to taxpayers to register in time. New fines are due to come into force, meaning that, even if there is no tax to pay, a late return will result in a GBP100 (USD154) penalty. The longer the delay, the greater the fine will become.

If a tax return is three months late, there will be a penalty for each additional day it is late. A tax return sent in six months late will face another penalty, with another, final penalty if it's 12 months late. HMRC warns that, together, these could add up to a penalty of GBP1,600 or more.

As at 8am on January 17, 2012 HMRC had recorded 4,794,984 Self Assessment returns filed online ahead of the January 31 deadline. The figure compares to 4,206,593 at the same point last year.

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