UK Tax Return Deadlines For Expats

It is essential to know the tax return deadlines set by the HMRC's for filing your tax returns to ensure that you avoid incurring late filing penalties.

Tax return deadlines to remember

31^st October

• Paper Tax Returns deadline

31^st January

• Tax return deadline if submitting online
• Balancing Tax Payment due for both paper and online submissions
• First Payment on Account due for following year (if applicable)

Please be aware that, due to Covid-19, tax returns for the tax year 2020/21 are subject to a deadline extension from HMRC. For detailed information, please read our article.

31^st July

• Second Payment on Account due for following year (if applicable)

Penalties for non-compliance

Late Filing Penalties:

• Day one: you will be charged an initial penalty of £100, even if you have no tax to pay or you have already paid all the tax you owe
• Three months late: you will be charged an automatic daily penalty of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
• Six months late: you will be charged further penalties, which are the greater of 5 per cent of tax due or £300
• Twelve months late: you will be charged yet more penalties, which are the greatest of 5 per cent of tax due or £300. In serious cases you face a higher penalty of up to 100 per cent of the tax due

Penalties for paying your tax late:

• Thirty days late: you will be charged an initial penalty of 5 per cent of the tax unpaid at that date
• Six months late: you will be charged a further penalty of 5 per cent of the tax that is still unpaid
• Twelve months late: you will be charged a further penalty of 5 per cent of the tax that is still unpaid

These penalties are on top of the interest that HMRC will charge on all outstanding amounts, including unpaid penalties, until your payment is received.