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Over 2,700 tax returns filed on Christmas Day as Self-Employed workers await details of fourth SEISS
More than 2,700 customers filed their Self Assessment tax return on Christmas Day as the deadline looms fast for workers.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can reveal the peak time for completing tax returns was between 2pm and 3pm, with more than 200 customers pressing send on their online form during Christmas Day.
The Self Assessment deadline is on 31 January 2021. Self-Employed workers, which includes thousands of taxi drivers, can complete their tax returns online ahead of the deadline. According to sources, HMRC sees thousands of customers using the festive period to get their documents in order to complete the task.
Once Self Assessment customers have completed their 2019 to 2020 tax return, and know how much tax is owed, they can set up their own payment plan to help spread the cost of their tax liabilities, up to the value of £30,000. They can use the self-serve ‘Time to Pay’ facility to set up monthly direct debits online. Interest will be applied to any outstanding balance from 1 February 2021.
To find out if they are eligible, customers have been urged to visit GOV.UK to find out more about the service.
Karl Khan, HMRC’s Interim Director General for Customer Services, said: “Online Self Assessment means customers can do their tax returns at any time, day or night – even on Christmas Day if they want to.
“We’re here to help customers get their tax right, and there’s support available 24/7 like help sheets, webinars and YouTube videos. Search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”
In total, 31,400 customers completed their 2019 to 2020 tax returns between 24 and 26 December:
Christmas Eve: 20,200 tax returns were filed.
Christmas Day: 2,700 tax returns were filed.
Boxing Day: 8,500 tax returns were filed.
Hundreds of thousands of eligible Self-Employed workers have been able to apply for a third Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SIESS) grant since Monday 30 November, and have until 29 January 2021 to make their claim.
To make a claim for the latest grant the claimant’s business must have been impacted by coronavirus on or after 1 November 2020.
Support for workers through the third SEISS grant will cover November to January and will be calculated at 80% of average trading profits, up to a maximum of £7,500.
There will be a fourth grant covering February 2021 to April 2021. Regarding this, the HMRC website reads: “We will set out further details, including the level of the fourth grant in due course.”
