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Are you stressed about your late Personal Tax Return and the late fee that has just landed on your digital doorstep from HM Revenue & Customs? Our blog has some top tips on what to do next and advice on how you might get that fee waived.
Each year, HMRC issues over £89 million in fines to those who submit late Tax Returns. A minimum fine of £100 is automatically issued at 00:01 AM on 1st February to anyone who passes the deadline without filing his or her Personal Tax Return. This can mount to the maximum penalty of £1600.
The headache of completing your Personal Tax Return is one thing you don’t want, but additional late fees in conjunction with the taxes and interest you may owe is something you can avoid if you act quickly and follow our expert advice.
The fine line:
If you have been issued with the initial late fee of £100, you can advise HMRC of the reason why you are submitting a late Tax Return. Some reasons will be accepted as valid excuses, and you could have your fee waived. Previous excuses that have provided a genuine and valid reason for late submission include:
- Family bereavement shortly before the Personal Tax Return deadline
- Unexpected stay in hospital
- Computer or software failures whilst preparing your online return
- HMRC online service issues
- A fire that prevented you from filing your Personal Tax Return
- Postal delays (paper form submissions only)
The first thing you need to do if you are guilty of filing a late Personal Tax Return is to advise HMRC why and see if they may offer to waive your late fee.
The next step is to appoint a Personal Tax specialist to support you through the process of completing your Tax Return before you incur additional fines.
If you are ready to complete your Tax Return now or would like advice, please email us on personaltax@churchill-knight.co.uk or call us on 01707 871610 (option 6), and our expert team can assist you.
Save yourself the hassle and stress and avoid further fines by using our expert service which guarantees a speedy and accurate submission of your Personal Tax Return.
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The Churchill Knight blog is regularly updated with helpful content for contractors and freelancers – especially articles that answer the most frequently asked questions about umbrella companies! Please pop back shortly to see the latest articles written by Andrew Trodden (Marketing Manager) and Clare Denison (Marketing Executive).