Tool
Tax deadline guide
The Self Assessment dates that matter, in one place: when to register, when to file and when payments leave your account.
Key dates
5 October · Register for Self Assessment
If you have not filed before, tell HMRC you need to file by 5 October after the end of the tax year you started earning.
31 October · Paper return deadline
The last date to send a paper Self Assessment return for the tax year that ended in April.
31 January · Online return deadline
File your return online for the tax year that ended in April, and pay the tax you owe.
31 January · First payment on account
If payments on account apply to you, half of next year's tax is due on the same day as your return.
31 July · Second payment on account
The remaining half of your advance payments is due.
Quarterly · MTD update deadlines
If you are signed up to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, quarterly updates are due about a month after each quarter ends.
If you miss a deadline
- A £100 fixed penalty for a late return, even if you owe no tax.
- Daily penalties of £10 a day after three months.
- A charge of £1,000, or 5% of the tax owed, after six and twelve months.
- Late payment interest on unpaid tax from 1 February.
If you cannot pay in full, contact HMRC to agree a Time to Pay arrangement before the deadline. Penalties for filing and paying are separate.
This guide is illustrative only and is not tax advice. Check current figures and dates on GOV.UK, and see our Tax Tables for the full detail.
Know the deadline. Change the outcome.
MyTaxFiling tracks what you have recorded and what is still outstanding through the year, so January is a review, not a scramble.