As is usual with the Calendar year coming to a close and the Holiday break now not far, HMRC has issued a reminder for people with outstanding 2014-15 Self Assessment Tax Returns to use the break to get them submitted online. The paper deadline has already passed back in October so this is the final chance to avoid any fees or penalties.
According to stats released today, over 85 percent of taxpayers choose the online method over a paper submission. Historically the Bank Holiday period is quite popular for people to gather finances and use a bit of downtime to sort through their paperwork.
If you are thinking of filing before the mad rush of mid to late January, make sure you have registered for Self Assessment at the GOV.UK website and have an activation code. If you don't have an activation code you will need to register for one as soon as possible as these are posted out and can take up to a week to arrive at this time of year.
The 31st January deadline for online filing is normally met with problems such as online systems going down, HMRC staff telephone lines being very busy and difficulty with getting quick clarification on tax issues. Getting registered with an accountant is also a touch harder.
The launch of the Digital Tax Account for Self Assessment taxpayers this year should make the process more informative and easier to use too.