Expert article
Self Assessment Deadlines: The Key Dates You Can't Miss
Missing a Self Assessment deadline means an automatic penalty, even if you don't owe any tax. These are the dates to put in your diary. The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April.
The key dates
| Date | What's due |
|---|---|
| 5 October | Register for Self Assessment if you became self-employed or have new untaxed income in the tax year that ended on 5 April. |
| 31 October | Paper tax returns for the previous tax year. |
| 30 December | Online return filed, if you want tax under a certain amount collected through your PAYE tax code. |
| 31 January | Online tax return filed, balancing payment for the previous year, and the first payment on account for the current year. |
| 31 July | Second payment on account. |
What are payments on account?
If your tax bill is above a set level and most of your income isn't taxed at source, HMRC asks you to pay towards next year's bill in advance, in two instalments on 31 January and 31 July. Each is normally half of the previous year's bill. If your income has dropped, you may be able to reduce them.
What happens if I'm late?
A late return triggers an immediate fixed penalty. Further penalties are added the longer it stays outstanding, and interest is charged on late tax. Filing early doesn't mean paying early. It just means you know what you owe with time to plan.
Making Tax Digital
If you are a sole trader or landlord in scope for MTD for Income Tax, you now have quarterly update deadlines too.
Let us take care of it. Our Self Assessment service keeps track of every date for you. Get in touch.