More than a million miss tax return deadline

Most also ensure they pay, or organise the payment, of tax owed. However, some aiming to pay their tax on Friday may have faced greater stress as a result of IT problems at Barclays.

Although the payment deadline was 31 January, late payment penalties are not applied until 1 March. Barclays have indicated nobody will be out of pocket because of delayed payments caused by their technical difficulties.

For those who missed the self-assessment deadline, the financial penalties include:

An initial £100 penalty, even if there is no tax to pay
Additional daily penalties of £10 a day after three months, up to a maximum of £900
After six months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
After 12 months, the higher of another 5% of the tax due or £300 charge

“I’m urging anyone who missed the deadline, to submit their return as soon as possible to avoid any further penalties,” said Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services.

There are also fines for late payment of the tax owed, with interest added on top.

Appeals against a fine can be made either by filing in a form or by writing a letter to HMRC, but a self-assessment must have been completed before making an appeal.