Taxpayers that have not yet filed their 2016-17 self-assessment returns, will have already been charged an automatic £100 penalty for late submission. The penalty applied from 1 February 2018 even if no tax was due or the tax due was paid on time.
HMRC has estimated that almost 750,000 taxpayers missed the 31 January 2018 deadline for submitting their tax returns. Taxpayers who were meant to file online by 31 January 2018, and have still not filed their 2016-17 return, are reminded that they will face far greater penalties.
Taxpayers that have not filed their self-assessment return by 1 May 2018 will face increased penalties. A daily penalty of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900 (90 days) will be charged from 1 May 2018.
Further penalties then apply, if the return is still outstanding for more than 6 months after the 31 January 2018 filing deadline. From 1 August 2018, taxpayers will be charged the greater of £300 or 5% of the tax due. If the return remains outstanding one year after the filing deadline, further penalties will be charged from 1 February 2019.
Planning note
Taxpayers can appeal against any penalties that have been issued. This can be done online in some cases or an appeal can be made in writing using the SA370 form. An appeal must usually be made within 30 days of receipt of the penalty notice.
