Paper tax returns a no-no from November

Paper tax returns a no-no from November

If you haven’t yet sent your 2013/14 tax return to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), remember not to do it on paper – or you’ll end up with a £100 late-filing penalty.

The 31 October paper-filing deadline for 2013/14 tax returns has now passed. Even if you have no tax to pay, or you eventually pay your tax on time, a late paper return will still land you with the £100 penalty.

Now it’s November, the only way to avoid a penalty is by submitting your tax return online by 31 January.

Around 958,000 people in the North West have to file a Self Assessment return. This includes 133,000 in Cheshire; 92,000 in Cumbria, 330,000 in Greater Manchester, 179,000 in Lancashire, and 149,000 in Merseyside.

To send an online tax return, you must be registered for HMRC Online Services. This involves HMRC sending you an Activation Code in the post, so allow time for this to arrive. If you haven’t registered for online filing, you can do so by visiting the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk/register-for-self-assessment and following the instructions.

You can file now and pay later – as long as you pay what you owe by 31 January.

Help and advice on filing your return is available from the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns or from the Self Assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310 (open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 4pm on Saturday).