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SELF ASSESSMENT-INDIVIDUALS

FACTOR

DUE DATE

COMMENTS

PENALTIES

NOTIFICATION OF TAXABLE 

SOURCE OF INCOME

5 OCTOBER FOLLOWING THE 
END OF THE TAX YEAR THE 
SOURCE AROSE

THE LEVEL OF PENALTY IS A % 
OF THE TAX UNPAID 12 
MONTHS AFTER THE END OF 
THE ACCOUNTING PERIOD 
AND DEPENDS ON THE 
BEHAVIOUR OF THE TAXPAYER

GENUINE MISTAKE=NO 
PENALTY

FAILURE TO TAKE REASONABLE 
CARE=30%

SERIOUS OR DELIBERATE 
UNDERSTATEMENT=70%

SERIOUS OR DELIBERATE 
UNDERSTATEMENT WITH 
CONCEALMENT=100%

PENALTIES CAN BE REDUCED  
WHERE THE TAXPAYER MAKES 
FULL DISCLOSURE AND 
COOPERATES WITH HMRC TO 
ESTABLISH THE AMOUNT OF 
UNPAID TAX

TAX RETURNS

THE TAXPAYER HAS THE 
CHOICE OF FILING A PAPER 
RETURN OR FILING 
ELECTRONICALLY ONLINE.

ALL COMPLETED AND SIGNED 

PAPER RETURNS MUST  BE 
FILED BY THE LATER OF:
 31 OCTOBER FOLLOWING 

THE END OF THE TAX YEAR

OR 3 MONTHS AFTER THE 

RETURN IS ISSUED. THIS IS 

ALSO THE DEADLINE IF THE 

TAXPAYER WISHES HMRC TO 

CALCULATE THE TAX ON 

THEIR BEHALF.

ALL ONLINE ELECTRONIC 

RETURNS MUST BE FILED BY 
THE LATER OF:

 31 JANUARY FOLLOWING 

THE END OF THE TAX YEAR 

OR 3 MONTHS AFTER THE 

RETURN IS ISSUED

FOR 2009/10:

31 OCTOBER 2010 FOR PAPER 
RETURNS

31 JANUARY 2011 FOR 
ELECTRONIC RETURNS

THE 31 JANUARY 

FOLLOWING THE END OF 

THE TAX YEAR IS KNOW AS 

THE “FILING DATE” 

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER 

THE RETURN IS FILED ON 

PAPER OR ELECTRONICALLY.

THIS MUST BE 

DISTINGUISHED FROM THE 

DATE ON WHICH THE 

RETURN IS FILED (KNOWN 

AS THE “ACTUAL FILING 

DATE”)

0-6 MONTHS=£100
6-12 MONTHS £200
>12 MONTHS TAX GEARED 
PENALTY

DAILY PENALTY OF £60 MAY BE 
IMPOSED UPON DIRECTION BY 
THE TRIBUNAL

PAYMENT DATES

TWO PAYMENTS ON 
ACCOUNT=31 JANUARY IN THE 
TAX YEAR AND 31 JULY 
FOLLOWING THE END OF THE 
TAX YEAR

BALANCING PAYMENT 31 
JANUARY FOLLOWING THE 
END OF THE TAX YEAR (FILING 
DATE)

PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT ARE 
BASED ON PREVIOUS YEARS 
TAX PAYABLE BY SELF 
ASSESSMENT

INTEREST FOR ANY LATE 
PAYMENTS
 
 A SURCHARGE IF THE 
BALANCING PAYMENT IS LATE:

0-28 DAYS= 5% OF THE LATE 
TAX

>6MONTHS AN ADDITIONAL 
5% 

CLAIMS

INCLUDED IN THE TAX RETURN 
OR SEPARATE CLAIM IN 
WRITING

CLAIM QUANTIFIED

CLAIMS TO REDUCE 

PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT

BY 31 JANUARY FOLLOWING 
THE END OF THE TAX YEAR

PENALTY FOR INCORRECT 
CLAIM IS THE DIFFERENCE 
BETWEEN THE AMOUNTS 
ACTUALLY PAID AND 
AMOUNTS THAT SHOULD 
HAVE BEEN PAID

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HMRC AMENDMENTS TO 

RETURN

9 MONTHS FROM DATE 
RETURN IS SUBMITTED

TAXPAYER AMENDMENTS TO 

RETURN

12 MONTHS FROM FILING 
DATE

ERROR OR MISTAKE CLAIM WITHIN 4 YEARS FROM THE 

END OF  THE TAX YEAR 
CONCERNED

RECORDS KEPT

SELF EMPLOYED AND RENTAL 
BUSINESS= FIVE YEARS FROM 
THE FILING DATE OF THE TAX 
YEAR CONCERNED

OTHER INDIVIDUALS= 1 YEAR 
FROM THE FILING DATE OF THE 
TAX YEAR CONCERNED

UP TO £3000 PER YEAR OF 
ASSESSMENT

HMRC ENQUIRIES

12 MONTHS FROM THE 
ACTUAL FILING DATE OF THE 
TAX YEAR CONCERNED

DEADLINE IS EXTENDED IF A 
RETURN IS FILED LATE( AFTER 
31 JANUARY) OR AMENDED IE 
12 MONTHS FROM THE END 
OF THE RELEVANT QUARTER IN 
WHICH THE RETURN IS 
SUBMITTED OR AMENDMENT 
MADE

HMRC DETERMINATIONS

3 YEARS FROM THE SELF 
ASSESSMENT  FILING DATE

A DETERMINATION CANNOT 
BE APPEALED AGAINST THEY 
CAN ONLY BE REDUCED BY AN 
ACTUAL SUBMISSION OF THE 
TAX RETURN

HMRC DISCOVERY 

ASSESSMENTS

4 YEARS FROM THE END  OF 
THE TAX YEAR CONCERNED, 6 
YEARS IF THERE IS A CARELESS 
ERROR AND 20 YEARS IF THERE 
IS A DELIBERATE ERROR OR 
FAILURE TO NOTIFY 
CHARGEABILITY TO TAX

PENALTIES FOR INCORRECT 

RETURNS

THE LEVEL OF PENALTY IS A % 
OF THE REVENUE LOST AS A 
RESULT OF THE INACCURACY 
OR UNDER ASSESSMENT AND 
DEPENDS ON THE BEHAVIOUR 
OF THE TAXPAYER

GENUINE MISTAKE=NO 
PENALTY

FAILURE TO TAKE REASONABLE 
CARE=30%

SERIOUS OR DELIBERATE 
UNDERSTATEMENT=70%

SERIOUS OR DELIBERATE 
UNDERSTATEMENT WITH 
CONCEALMENT=100%

PENALTIES CAN BE REDUCED  
WHERE THE TAXPAYER MAKES 
FULL DISCLOSURE AND 
COOPERATES WITH HMRC TO 
ESTABLISH THE AMOUNT OF 
UNPAID TAX

PAYE 

19

TH

 OF THE MONTH

INCLUDES NIC

AVG MONTHLY PAYMENTS ARE 
<£1500 QUARTLEY PAYMENTS 
CAN BE MADE

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

31 JANUARY FOLLOWING THE 
END OF THE TAX YEAR OF 
DISPOSAL

NO PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT
INCLUDE DETAILS IN SELF 
ASSESSMENT TAX RETURN

INTEREST ON LATE PAYMENTS 
AND SURCHARGES