- 298,905 people filed their Self Assessment tax return in the first week of the tax year and a record 737,891 in April 2026.
- 86,270 did their 2025 to 2026 tax return on Easter Monday, 6 April.
- People who file their tax return early and are owed a tax refund, can receive it sooner.
Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers got ahead of the game by filing their Self Assessment return early last month, with 86,270 submitting on day one – as Easter Monday emerged as the most popular date.
More than 298,900 people filed between 6 and 12 April – the first week of the tax year. April as a whole set a new record with almost 740,000 submitting their returns for the 2025 to 2026 tax year.
Anyone unsure whether they need to complete a tax return can use the checker tool on GOV.UK to find out. People new to Self Assessment must first register to receive their Unique Taxpayer Reference, which they will need when they complete and file their return.
Myrtle Lloyd, HM Revenue and Customs’ Chief Customer Officer, said
For thousands of people, filing early and staying on top of their finances has become the norm. It takes the pressure off in January and means they can spend their time focusing on their business and doing things they love.
Make a start on your tax return today by searching ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK.
More than 12 million taxpayers are expected to submit a 2025 to 2026 tax return by 31 January 2027. However, people do not need to wait, as HMRC encourages millions to get started and file early. This means they know what tax they owe sooner, so they can plan for any payments in advance and avoid the stress of leaving it until January.
HMRC has updated guidance on filing tax returns early and help around paying tax bills on GOV.UK.
Taxpayers can set up a budget payment plan to make either weekly or monthly direct debit payments towards their Self Assessment tax bill, spreading the cost of their tax bill across the year, instead of having to pay that bill all at once by the 31 January payment deadline.
In cases where tax has been overpaid, refunds can be claimed as soon as the return has been processed. People will be able to check if they are due a refund in the HMRC app. It also means people can take their time to complete their return, ensuring all the information submitted is accurate. This will result in fewer mistakes and potential penalties.
Also, from 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords with a turnover above £50,000 are required to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax and submit quarterly summaries of their income and expenses to HMRC. From April 2027, this will also apply to sole traders and landlords with a combined turnover of more than £30,000. Agents can also register their clients via GOV.UK.
Those within scope of MTD will continue to submit an annual Self Assessment tax return and HMRC is encouraging customers to get ahead and file their tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year now.
Criminals often impersonate HMRC to steal money or personal information in someone else’s name. People should always take time to stop and think if the request is genuine before sharing personal information, never click on links in unexpected messages or share their HMRC sign-in details. Genuine HMRC contact details and advice on spotting scams can be found on GOV.UK by searching for ‘HMRC phishing and scams’.
A wide range of online help and support is available on GOV.UK to help people fill in and file their tax return.
Further Information
More information about Self Assessment
Breakdown of filing data
| Date | 25-26 tax returns | 24-25 tax returns |
|---|---|---|
| 6 April | 86,270* | 57,815** |
| 7 April | 56,370 | 64,505 |
| 8 April | 43,763 | 49,162 |
| 9 April | 39,785 | 41,617 |
| 10 April | 33,316 | 36,373 |
| 11 April | 21,243** | 30,529 |
| 12 April | 18,158** | 19,418** |
| Total | 298,905 | 299,419 |
*Bank holiday
**Weekend days
April filing data
| Year | Tax returns | Total filed |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | 2025-26 | 737,891 |
| April 2025 | 2024-25 | 687,247 |
| April 2024 | 2023-24 | 706,660 |
| April 2023 | 2022-23 | 641,403 |
| April 2022 | 2021-22 | 561,215 |
A list of who needs to complete a tax return is available on GOV.UK.
Pensioners who received Winter Fuel Payments (Pension Age Winter Heating Payments in Scotland) from the Government in 2025 will need to repay those payments if their total income was more than £35,000 in the 2025 to 2026 tax year. Pensioners who are already Self Assessment taxpayers will have these payments recovered via their 2025 to 2026 Self Assessment tax return.
Where possible, HMRC will include the charge automatically in online tax returns. It is important to check that HMRC has entered the correct amount of the Winter Fuel Payment on the return, but people can enter it themselves if they need to. Those filing paper tax returns will need to include it on their return, which is due by 31 October 2026.
Further information on HMRC’s recovery approach can be found on GOV.UK.
It is important that customers let HMRC know if there are any changes in details or circumstances such as a new address or name, or if they are no longer self-employed or their business has closed. They should not assume someone else will update HMRC on their behalf.
If customers no longer need to do Self Assessment, they will need to tell HMRC.
