Over 730,000 taxpayers filed Self Assessment on deadline day

More than 732,000 taxpayers left it until the final day to file their Self Assessment tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

By midnight on 31 January, a total of 11.5 million tax returns had been submitted, accounting for 90.53% of expected filers. The vast majority—97.36%—were filed online.

Last-minute rush as thousands submit near midnight

The busiest hour for submissions was 4.00pm to 4.59pm, when 58,517 people completed their returns.

However, thousands pushed their submission right to the wire, with 31,442 returns filed between 11pm and 11.59pm.

Despite the high number of on-time filings, 1.1 million taxpayers missed the deadline and now risk penalties.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, thanked those who met the deadline but urged those who missed it to act quickly:

“Thank you to the millions of people and agents who filed their Self Assessment tax return and paid any tax owed by 31 January. I’m urging anyone who missed the deadline to submit their return as soon as possible to avoid any further penalties. Search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”

Penalties for late submissions

Taxpayers who missed the deadline now face:

• A £100 fixed penalty, even if no tax is owed.
• Daily penalties of £10 per day after three months, up to £900.
• Further penalties of 5% of tax due (or £300) after six and twelve months.
• Additional late payment penalties, including 5% of unpaid tax at 30 days, six months, and twelve months, with interest accruing on overdue amounts.

HMRC is encouraging those who owe tax but are struggling to pay to explore Time to Pay arrangements, which allow payments to be spread over time.

The majority of tax returns—97.36%—were submitted online, continuing a trend towards digital submissions. Paper returns accounted for just 2.64% of all filings.

Taxpayers who sell goods or services online are also reminded to check if they need to declare their income via Self Assessment. Guidance is available on GOV.UK by searching ‘online platform income’.

For those who have not yet filed, HMRC is urging immediate action to avoid further penalties.