HMRC receives 85% of self-assessment tax returns online

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed it received the biggest number of digital self-assessment tax returns yet with 10.24 million filed by midnight on 31 January – a record 85.5 per cent.

Just under half (42 per cent) of self-assessment customers left it until January to file their returns which the tax authority issued back in April 2014.

The busiest days for online filing were 30 and 31 January, when HMRC received almost a million (979,256) returns.

The busiest hour on deadline day was between 11 am and midday, when almost 32,000 returns were submitted at a rate of 530 per minute.

At the end of the month, over one million self-assessment-only customers – self-employed professionals with no other source of income – opted to receive digital messages from HMRC as opposed to paper communications.

Those eligible can sign up for electronic messages via their self-assessment online account and follow the simple prompts.

Ruth Owen, director general, personal tax, HMRC, said: “This is another record-breaking year for self-assessment, with 210,000 more people filing their returns on time than last year.

“We’re grateful to the overwhelming majority of people who sent their returns on time. If you’re one of the minority who missed the deadline, you still need to get your tax return to us as soon as possible, to avoid further penalties and interest mounting up.”

Those who missed the 31 January filing deadline will incur an automatic £100 penalty, with further late filing penalties possible for those who leave it more than three, six and 12 months to file their 2013/14 return.

People with a genuine reason for not filing should contact HMRC immediately to ensure they do not incur additional penalties.

Date published 2 Feb 2015 | Last updated 2 Feb 2015