Self-assessment late filing penalties to remain

Posted on Jan 25 2021

Despite appeals by professional bodies, HMRC will not waive late-filing penalties for self-assessment tax returns due on 31 January 2021.

HMRC has, however, confirmed that if a deadline is missed because of the pandemic, this should not result in a penalty as long as an appeal is made.

In a recent letter, Jim Harra, CEO of HMRC, advised; ‘We will continue to encourage timely filing… Any departure from this simple message increases the risk that taxpayers will miss both filing and payment deadlines unnecessarily or miss out on the simple arrangements we have put in place for securing time to pay.’

Harra also offered reassurance that those unable to file on time due to pandemic will not have to pay a penalty; ‘We will not start to issue penalties until we have completed our review of the options and monitoring of filing rates and confirmed which approach we will take.’

Confirmation has also been given that HMRC’s telephone helplines and webchat services will be open for the weekend of the self-assessment deadline:

Telephone
30 January - 8:00 to 18:00
31 January - 9:00 to 18:00 on 31 January

Webchat service
8:00 to 20:00

About the Author

Martin Johnson

Partner

With expertise in advising family-owned companies on a range of tax, accountancy and business issues, Martin also has an in-depth knowledge of the automotive and property sectors. In addition, he provides advice on inheritance tax planning and financial management to owner-managed businesses. Martin leads the firm in developing its expertise in the buy-to-let sector, advising both residential and commercial property owners on relevant tax and legislation issues. A further element to Martin’s role is to build Torgersens’ relationships with banks, financial advisors and specialists in commercial and employment law to ensure that the firm’s clients have access to market-leading guidance.

To get in touch please e-mail martin.johnson@torgersens.com.