untied, the UK’s personal tax app, today urged anyone who has not yet filed their 2020/21 tax return, to do so by the end of this week in order to avoid the possibility of a £100 penalty.

As a result of COVID, HMRC gave twelve million people who need to file a personal self-assessment tax return an extra month to get their taxes in order without penalty. Instead of the formal traditional cut-off of 31 January, this gave an effective filing deadline of 28 February. And tax owing needs to be made by 1 April to avoid penalty (a small amount of interest may still be due).

Over two million taxpayers did not file their 2020/21 tax returns by the end of January 2022 and 1.5 million still have not completed their documentation with one week to go, according to HMRC. If these people do not meet the 28 February 2021 deadline, they could each be landed with a £100 penalty.

Kevin Sefton, CEO of untied commented: “We urge affected taxpayers to take control of their tax returns now to avoid adding an extra £100 to their tax bill. Even if individuals think they have a reasonable excuse for filing late, it’s still best to file returns as soon as you can possibly do so and then contact HMRC later about appealing any penalty.”

Advice to late filers:

  • Try your hardest to get your tax return in ahead of the 28 February cut-off, and avoid the possibility of penalty. You can include provisional figures and file an amendment later
  • If you don’t have all information to hand, include provisional numbers and file an amendment later
  • Even if you miss the deadline, still try to get your return submitted as soon as you can
  • If you’re struggling to pay your tax bill, don’t ignore it -contact HMRC as soon as you can, to see if they can set up a payment plan - but be aware they’ll normally expect your tax returns to be up to date before discussing this. You should do this before 28 February for the most flexible options.”

—ENDS—

For further information, contact Chantal Heckford at pr@untied.io