Thousands of people enjoyed their Christmas Day in a rather unusual fashion by filing their tax returns, HMRC has revealed. They said 4,400 self assessment customers avoided peeling the sprouts to file their tax return online on Christmas Day, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Hundreds of people even completed the online form at around 3pm – the same time as the King’s speech. In total, 40,072 customers found time to wrap up their 2023 to 2024 tax return across Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, well ahead of the January 31 deadline. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here.
Over the course of the three days:
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Between 3pm and 4pm proved to be the most popular time to file on the big day itself, with 368 filing their return
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11,932 customers submitted their tax return on Boxing Day, with the most popular time being 4pm and 5pm when 1,108 filed their returns
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23,731 filed on Christmas Eve instead of last-minute shopping and wrapping. The most popular time was between 11am and midday when 3,458 filed their tax return
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: “People who need to file a self assessment return and already have can enjoy the rest of the festive period knowing they’ve got it wrapped up for another year, and can enjoy singing Auld Lang Syne knowing their tax affairs are in order. For those who haven’t started yet, our online service is available 365 days a year so there’s still a chance to get it done before 2024 is out! Go to GOV.UK and search ‘Self Assessment’ to access the online help and start today.”
Customers who have already submitted their tax return online have until January 31, 2025 to pay the tax they owe. Those who file before 30 December may have the option of paying any tax owed through their PAYE tax code. The quickest and easiest way to pay a Self Assessment tax bill is via the HMRC app. For a full list of ways to pay, visit gov.uk.