Tax return deadline extended due to strike action

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Tax return deadline extended due to strike action

by Tax Faculty Team on 26.01.2012 17:39 12 comments 5055 views
Topics: Personal tax, E-filing

No penalties for returns filed online on 1 or 2 February

HMRC has extended the online filing deadline for 2010/11 self assessment tax returns because planned strike action is expected to cause last minute disruption.

The Public and Commercial Services Union is planning strikes at call centres and enquiry offices on Tuesday 31 January 2012. HMRC today announced that no penalties will be charged on anyone who submits their tax return online in the first two days of February – effectively extending the deadline by two days.

Anyone who files after 2 February 2012 will incur a penalty of £100. In a change from previous years, the £100 penalty will apply even if the taxpayer has paid all the tax due on 31 January. However, the penalty can be cancelled if the taxpayer can successfully claim that they had a reasonable excuse that prevented them submitting the return on time. Our recent news item Tax return filing - what is a reasonable excuse? explains this in more detail.

Comments

# | by SKhan on 26 January 2012, 17:56

Where is this written on HMRC Website?

# | by Jim on 26 January 2012, 19:12

Does this apply for other 31 Jan deadlines - eg can a 2009/10 return be amended on 1 Feb or will an election which should be made by 31 Jan (e.g. Rebasing election for offshore trusts, loss carry back for 2009/10 trading losses, ...) Also, have read elsewhere that no interest will be charged on tax paid on 1 or 2 Feb And, presumably the enquiry window is extended...

# | by Timothy Robinson on 27 January 2012, 05:27

Strange that I cannot find reference to this industrial action on the HMRC site, yet it is in today's Daily Telegraph.

# | by James Elston on 31 January 2012, 11:25

For details on HMRC website view the first section (31 January deadline) on this page: HMRC tax return deadlines

# | by Kim on 31 January 2012, 16:54

But can you also pay your balancing payment due on 31st Jan on 1st or 2nd without incurring a penalty surcharge.

# | by Christopher Prescott on 31 January 2012, 17:20

What about notifying income for Tax Credits? Pretty difficult to get through on the phone today, if indeed possible at all.

# | by Robert Gale on 31 January 2012, 17:21

Presumably if my staff take strike action on 31 January in future, I can postpone the filing deadline without fear of penalties or is it just HMRC that can rewrite the rules!?

# | by Bruce Lawson on 31 January 2012, 21:15

The deadline should not have been extended through the threat of strike action.Most agents toil to get all their clients through the gateway by 31 Jan.Any member of the public leaving it till the last two days deserves a fine.This sort of namby pamby behaviour lets such idiots off the hook and just congests the system at the end of January..how about £25 bonus if you file by say 5 July.Try getting companies house to waive a fine if a return gets lost in the post!.

# | by sarah parkin on 01 February 2012, 10:11

in reference to Bruce Lawson, you can only submit figures when your accountant gives them to you which despite numerous phonecalls always seems to be the 31st. Hardly my fault!! The penalties are a joke anyway.

# | by Tax Faculty Team on 01 February 2012, 12:08

The answer to Kim's question about making balancing payments is that you can make the balancing payment on 1 or 2 February without incurring interest. Remember the rules for interest and penalties have all changed anyway for this year.

# | by Tax Faculty Team on 01 February 2012, 12:09

The answer to Christopher Prescott's question about the tax credits deadline is we have asked and there are two extra days being allowed for that too.

# | by C S Wilkinson on 02 February 2012, 14:02

My understanding is that the filing deadline was not changed - only the window for attracting penalties and interest. If you missed the filing deadline, the taxpayer will still have his/her file marked for a higher probability of a future investigation if HMRC in mindful. Will fee protection insurance companies still pick up that investigation bill? That is why my small firm's SA clients' tax returns were filed on time (last one acknowledged by HMRC 23:54 on 31/1/12!). I agree the penalty fixed in 1996 is now too low. £500 should encourage clients not to leave presenting their records until the last few weeks. All clients presenting records in January are surchaged for unsocial hours working.

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Tax return deadline extended due to strike action