HMRC is encouraging people to file their self assessment Tax Returns and pay any money they owe before midnight on January 31 to avoid a £100 penalty and possibly further penalties and interest charges.

However, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called on HMRC to make sure they have resources in place to cope with last-minute tax returns ahead of the self-assessment deadline.

Receipts
The FSB said that small businesses and the self-employed must get reassurance that their tax return has been logged and a receipt to prove it, even if they submit the paperwork at their local tax office or complete the online form on the day of the deadline.

HMRC has refused to guarantee that taxpayers submitting returns at their local tax office on January 31 will get a receipt and has advised taxpayers to allow plenty of time for paper returns to reach them amid reports of a backlog of post.

Simon Sweetman, FSB Tax Spokesman said: “The self-assessment form is just one of the many important tasks involved in running a business and there can be many reasons, both personal and business-related, why the self-employed and owners of small businesses need right up to January 31 to complete it.

“But there is no excuse for HMRC not to be fully prepared for the inevitable surge of tax returns in the run up to the deadline. We urge them to make sure that they allocate adequate staff and resources to cope with the influx.

“It is surely not too much to ask for taxpayers to get the peace of mind of a guarantee that their return has been received and is being processed, even if they had to file at the last minute.”

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Susie Hughes
The Editor © Hardhatter 2007