- 97.25% of tax returns were filed online.
- 11.48 million people filed their Self Assessment tax returns by 31 January.
- Anyone who missed the deadline should file their return and pay any tax owed as soon as possible.
More than 11.48 million people beat the deadline and filed their Self Assessment tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year by 31 January, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can reveal.
There were 475,722 taxpayers who waited until the final day to file their return. On the day
- 27,456 people submitted theirs in the final hour (2300 to 2359)
- the busiest hour for submitting a return was 1700 to 1759, when 32,982 people filed
- HMRC advisers handled 5,409 webchats and 10,483 calls to the helplines which, unusually, were opened on a Saturday to provide extra support to customers on the deadline day
More than 12 million Self Assessment customers were expected to file a tax return and pay any tax owed for the 2024 to 2025 tax year by 31 January. Anyone who needs to file a return and missed the deadline should meet their tax obligations as soon as possible, as late filing and late payment penalties are charged.
Customers can file their tax return now and pay any tax owed via GOV.UK. One of the quickest ways to pay is via the HMRC app. Time to Pay arrangements are available for those who cannot pay their tax bill in full, if they meet the relevant criteria. A full list of payment options is available on GOV.UK.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said
Thank you to the millions of people and agents who filed their Self Assessment tax return and paid any tax owed by 31 January. Anyone who missed the deadline should file their return as soon as possible, as penalties and late payment interest may be charged. HMRC digital channels are always the quickest and easiest way for people to sort their tax affairs. Search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.
The penalties for filing a tax return late are
- an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time
- after 3 months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
- after 6 months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
- after 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater
There are also additional penalties for paying late – 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. Interest will also be charged on any tax paid late.
Customers will be able to file their Self Assessment tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year from 6 April 2026.
More information about Self Assessment is available on GOV.UK.
Further Information
Self Assessment 2026 facts summary
- 12,029,168 Self Assessment returns expected
- 11,489,825 returns received by 31 January. This includes expected returns, voluntary returns and late registrations
- 10,957,825 expected returns received by 31 January (91.09% of returns, following adjustments)
- an estimated 1 million customers missed the deadline
- 11,173,825 returns were filed online (97.25% of returns, following adjustments)
- 316,000 paper tax returns were filed (2.75% of returns, following adjustments)
Voluntary returns/late registrations are an estimate based on returns received by early January and previous filing behaviour.
These figures are indicative and may be subject to further adjustments once all figures have been ratified.
Sole traders and landlords with qualifying income of more than £50,000 will be required to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax from 6 April 2026 and be required to submit quarterly summaries of their income and expenses to HMRC. HMRC is urging eligible customers to act now – whether they’re signing up a client or themselves, get ahead of the curve by taking the first step and sign-up on GOV.UK to access the new service and start preparing now.
The Winter Fuel Payment, or Pension Age Winter Heating payment in Scotland, payments received in Autumn 2025 will be recovered in the 2025 to 2026 tax return, due by 31 January 2027.
Anyone who believes they no longer need to complete a tax return should notify HMRC as soon as possible.
