HMRC give self-assessment taxpayers one month waiver

Jan 6, 2022
Aaron is one of our tax partners, Aaron specialises in R&D Tax Relief, VAT, Trusts, Corporate Tax, Business Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
self-assessment

HMRC have announced that they will be waiving late filing and late payment penalties by one month for Self-Assessment taxpayers. This is to give them additional time to complete their 2020/21 tax return and pay any due tax if needed.

However, HMRC are still encouraging Self-Assessment tax payers to file and pay on time if they can. The department have announced that out of the 12.2 million people that need to submit a Self-Assessment tax return by 31 January 2022 nearly 6.5 million have already submitted.

HMRC have said that with Covid-19 affecting the capacity of some tax-payers and their agents it is making it increasingly difficult for taxpayers to meet the 31 January deadline. Therefore, HMRC have made the decision to implement a one-month waiver for late filing and late payment penalties.

This is a very welcome concession.

 

What are the new rules for self-assessment taxpayers?

The official deadline for filing and paying your tax return remains as 31 January 2022. The waiver implemented by HMRC will have two fundamental changes:

  • Firstly, anyone who cannot file their tax return by the 31 January deadline will not receive a late filing penalty if they file online by 28 February. Technically the return will have been filed late but the tax-payer will be treated as if they had a reasonable excuse and so the automatic £100 penalty will not be charged.
  • Secondly, anyone who cannot pay their Self-Assessment tax bill by the 31 January deadline will not receive a late payment penalty if they pay their tax in full, or set up a Time to Pay arrangement, before 1 April.

 

However, it is important to note that interest will be charged with effect from 1 February 2022 for those that miss the 31 January deadline. Therefore, we recommend that you pay on time to avoid any interest payments if you can.

 

How can we help?

If you have any questions about the contents of this article, please contact one of our tax experts who will be able to assist you with any queries you may have.

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