Self assessment tax return deadlines and penalties for 2013-2014

The new tax year is upon us and if you must file tax in the UK, make note of the deadlines for the 2013-2014 tax year which ended on the 5^th April 2014. If you don’t file your tax return before the deadline HMRC will issue you with a penalty. The deadline for paper tax returns to reach HMRC is by midnight on 31^st October 2014, and the tax filing season opens on 6th April 2014.

The deadline for online self-assessment tax returns is 31^st January 2015. If you haven’t applied for your UTR yet, then ask the SimpleTax wizard now! It’s free, quick and super simple to use. But be quick, your UTR can take up to 6 weeks to arrive, so you should apply for your UTR before 20^th December to ensure it arrives in time.

Penalties

In the words of Benjamin Franklin – “the only things certain in life are death and taxes.”

Inevitably, the taxman will always catch up with you and you may be facing some nasty fines if you miss the tax return deadline. The penalty system is fairly easy to understand; the longer you delay, the more you pay. So what could you be looking at if you file too late? Here’s a simple breakdown:

• 1 day late – £100 fine.
• 3 months late – The £100 above plus £10 for each further day that you are late, that’s up to a potential £900 in fines.
• 6 months late – All of the penalties above plus £300 or 5% of tax due (whichever is higher).
• 12 months late – All penalties above plus £300 or 5% of tax due.

If you’re 12 months late, you could face a penalty of up to £1,600. That’s serious cash. SimpleTax wants to save you time and money when it comes filing your self-assessment. Register with SimpleTax today to make taxes less taxing.

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Meeting your deadlines is a serious matter, so don’t delay.

 Access SimpleTax 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Blog content is for information purposes and over time may become outdated, although we do strive to keep it current.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.