12:53 am - February 5, 2026
The self-assessment tax return deadline has passed, with over a million taxpayers missing the January 31st 2026 cut-off date for submitting their 2024-2025 returns. According to tax authorities, approximately 1.1 million people failed to file on time, facing automatic £100 penalties as a result. Financial experts are now offering guidance to help both those who missed the deadline and those who filed successfully learn valuable lessons from the process.
Statistics from the start of the year revealed that 5.65 million people had not yet filed their self-assessment tax return, compared to 6.36 million who had already completed the task. The deadline penalties escalate significantly for those who continue to delay, with fines reaching £10 per day after three months, up to a maximum of £900, followed by additional charges at six and twelve months.
Essential Steps for Late Filers
Taxpayers who missed the deadline should prioritize accessing HMRC systems immediately. According to financial advisors, individuals need their Unique Taxpayer Reference number and Government Gateway access to proceed. Registration can take up to 10 days for activation codes to arrive by post, making prompt action essential.
Meanwhile, those without complete paperwork should not assume they cannot file. Experts indicate that taxpayers can submit estimated returns and update them when documentation arrives, provided they mark the appropriate section showing estimates were used. This approach prevents further penalty accumulation while awaiting missing statements or receipts.
Common Tax Return Oversights
One frequently overlooked area involves the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which affects families where anyone earns £60,000 or more. The charge requires partial or full repayment of child benefit received, with complete repayment mandatory for those earning £80,000 or above. Additionally, cryptocurrency gains now require declaration for Capital Gains Tax purposes, with taxable events occurring not only upon sale but also when spending or trading crypto assets.
Furthermore, capital gains tax calculations require manual adjustment this year for assets sold after October 30th 2024. The system will not automatically calculate the correct amount following autumn budget changes, requiring taxpayers to use the adjustment calculator available on the GOV.UK website.
Pension Contribution Tax Relief
Higher and additional rate taxpayers may need to reclaim pension tax relief through their self-assessment tax return, according to retirement specialists. Those with relief-at-source pensions receive only basic rate relief automatically, requiring manual claims for the higher rate portion. This applies to many Self-Invested Personal Pensions and some workplace schemes.
However, individuals in net pay arrangements or salary sacrifice schemes receive correct tax relief automatically. Taxpayers can reclaim unpaid tax relief from the previous four years, either through adjusted tax codes or direct bank refunds. The annual allowance currently stands at £60,000 or annual salary, whichever is lower, though high earners may face reduced allowances.
Future Compliance Requirements
Sole traders and landlords with turnover exceeding £50,000 must transition to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax from April 6th 2026. The report indicates these taxpayers should register immediately to allow adequate time for learning required software systems. In contrast, those finding the new requirements too time-consuming may need to engage accountant services.
Taxpayers should also review their returns to identify opportunities for tax efficiency. Consolidating investments into ISAs can eliminate dividend tax reporting requirements permanently, simplifying future self-assessment obligations. Those who discover errors can amend returns within 12 months of the original deadline through their HMRC account, or by writing to the tax authority for older mistakes.
HMRC has not confirmed whether any deadline extensions will be granted, and penalties will continue accruing for those who remain non-compliant. Authorities have reminded taxpayers to remain vigilant against scam attempts, particularly fake refund messages, advising people to access services only through GOV.UK directly rather than clicking links in emails or texts.
