What is a ‘reasonable excuse’ for my late tax return?
It goes without saying that meeting the tax deadline is important, and you should do everything you can to file your taxes before 31st January. If you fail to meet this deadline then HMRC will penalise you, unless you have a ‘reasonable…
5 Minute Read
Last Updated: 9th February 2022
It goes without saying that meeting the tax deadline is important, and you should do everything you can to file your taxes before 31st January. If you fail to meet this deadline then HMRC will penalise you, unless you have a ‘reasonable excuse’. Understandably, HMRC won’t accept any excuse; the taxman is unlikely to accept ‘I forgot to do it’ or ‘I didn’t know when the tax deadline was.’
Reasonable excuses
Firstly, let’s start with some examples of reasonable excuses. If an unusual event beyond your control prevents you from filing your tax return, this counts as a ‘reasonable excuse.’ For example:
- HMRC online failure
- a faulty laptop
- serious illnesses, disability and/or serious mental health conditions which prevent you from filing your tax return
- registering with HMRC in time but not receiving your activation code.
These are just a few examples, but if you think you have a reasonable excuse for filing a late tax return, you should contact HMRC as soon as possible.
Unreasonable excuses
As you would expect, HMRC will not accept a claim if you have an unreasonable excuse for missing the deadline. Here are a few unreasonable excuses:
- I found the whole process too confusing,
- I thought my accountant was doing it,
- I registered with HMRC too late.
If you think you have a valid and reasonable excuse for late submission, then you should contact HMRC as soon as possible. You will need to fill in a reasonable excuse claim form, available to download here.
Access GoSimpleTax and discover a new free way of filing your return (HMRC approved), know what expenses will help you lower your tax bill and keep all your records online, safe & sound. Ready to file with one click! Free means free. No hidden costs.
View our Guide to Self Assessment Tax Returns
Blog content is for information purposes and over time may become outdated, although we do strive to keep it current. It's written to help you understand your Tax's and is not to be relied upon as professional accounting, tax and legal advice due to differences in everyone's circumstances. For additional help please contact our support team or HMRC.
HMRC crackdown to target eBay, Amazon, Airbnb, Fiverr, Uber, Deliveroo and Etsy side hustle income earners
05 Dec 2023
How to spot a Self Assessment tax scam
30 Nov 2023
Can sole traders claim tax expenses for Christmas nights out and customer gifts?
09 Nov 2023
How GoSimpleTax Works
Register
Simply register for free with your full name and email address.
Select Your Income
Select the income you receive and follow the hints and tips for potential tax savings.
Validate Your Information
Validate your personal information and submit directly to HMRC to get confirmation in just seconds.

Work Anywhere, With Any Device
Gone are the days of fretting over a calculator surrounded by scraps of paper at the eleventh hour.
GoSimpleTax’s tax return software uses the information you upload in real time to calculate your income and expenditure, working out the tax you owe and sending you helpful notifications when there’s the possibility of a mistake.
"The software is intuitive and proved very easy to navigate. I found the whole process refreshingly simple. I saved a lot of money too!"
Steve J.
Ordained Presbyter
"Easy to use and value for money. Everything you need to do your tax."
Gordon J.
Self Employed
"It fills in all the forms and sends them to the Inland Revenue. Not expensive either. Takes the stress out of doing your tax return online."
Ross G.
Team Rector