Today (5 October 2021) is the deadline for people to register for self-assessment if they receive income above the trading allowance and that income isn’t taxed at source (ie through an employer).  It covers people who are self-employed and other such as those who rent out property.

untied, the UK’s personal tax app, has identified that in its users’ experience many applications to register with HMRC do not succeed.  Typically taxpayers are advised that submitted data does not match HMRC records, and specifically that the address has not matched. 

untied has called on HMRC to investigate the reasons for this and to offer reassurance to taxpayers.

Kevin Sefton, CEO of untied says: “At points we have seen more than 50% of applications fail.  We have examples of data being submitted which is a direct match for the records in that individual’s HMRC account – and it is still rejected.  These people are trying to comply with their tax obligations.  And yet HMRC’s systems are giving them errors which we cannot explain.  We are keen to engage with HMRC to help taxpayers register without the extra anxiety of their applications being rejected.

“We are calling for reassurance from HMRC that there will be no late registration penalties for those people affected.  In addition to this, we also would like confirmation that if registration cannot be completed in time, that they won’t be penalised for late submission of their 2020/21 returns which are due on 31 January 2022.”

—ENDS—

For further information:

Chantal Heckford pr@untied.io