Self-assessment is the process by which you advise HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) of your income, gains and relevant expenses for a tax year. HMRC will calculate your income tax bill based on the information you provide.
Here we set out details of the tax year, the recurring deadlines each year, and then provide you with specific dates for the current tax year. In particular, the 31st January 2019 deadline is looming for filing tax returns for the 2017/18 tax year with HMRC. Should you have any questions or if you’d like help to complete your tax return, please get in touch.
The tax year
When we talk about dates for tax, often the date is said to be ‘during the tax year’ or ‘following the end of the tax year’. A UK tax year runs from 6 April to the following 5 April.
So, if we are talking about the tax year 2018/2019 it would start on 6 April 2018 and finish on 5 April 2019. The 31 January during the tax year would be 31 January 2019, the 5 October following the end of the tax year would be 5 October 2019 and the 31 January following the end of the tax year would be 31 January 2020.
Annual deadlines for tax returns
The dates below are the key ones for individuals submitting tax returns to HMRC:
| Date | Summary |
| 31st January during the tax year | The first payment on account for the tax year ending the following 5 April is due. For example, the first payment on account for the 2018/19 tax year is due by 31 January 2019. |
| April (following the end of the tax year) | The tax year ends on 5 April and shortly after this date anyone who is required to file a tax return will receive a notice from HMRC advising that you must file a tax return for the tax year just ended. If you need to submit a tax return for the first time you will need to register for Self-Assessment with HMRC. |
| 31st July following the end of the tax year | The second payment on account for the tax year ending the previous 5 April is due. For example, the second payment on account for the 2018/19 tax year is due by 31 July 2019. |
| 5th October following the end of the tax year | The 5 October is the date by which you need to notify HMRC that you need to submit a self-assessment tax return. If you have income that has not been taxed before you received it or capital gains in excess of £11,700 (2018/19) you may need to register for Self-Assessment with HMRC. HMRC will then send you a notice a file a tax return. |
| 31st October following the end of the tax year | If you are sending HMRC a paper tax return this must be submitted by the 31 October. If you send the form after this date, there will be a penalty even if you have no tax to pay. |
| 30th December following the end of the tax | If you file your tax return online, you will need to submit it by this date if you have employment or pension income and want HMRC to collect the tax through your PAYE tax code. This may be possible where you owe less than £3,000. If your income is more than £30,000, even more tax may be collected through your PAYE tax code. |
| 31st January following the end of the tax year | All tax returns filed online must be submitted by this date. If you miss this deadline a penalty will be charged even if you have no tax to pay or have already paid all the tax you owe.
Also, your balancing payment of tax is due to HMRC. |
| 31st January following the end of the tax year + 1 year | If you become aware that an entry on your paper or online tax return is incorrect you can amend that return up to 12 months after 31 January following the end of the tax year.
For example, if you need to amend your 2017/18 return you have until 31 January 2020 to make the amendment. This applies whether you filed manually using a paper return or completed it online. |
Dates for the 2018/19 tax year
For the 2018/19 tax year (current) these are the dates that will be relevant for those submitting tax returns:
| Action | Date |
| First Payment on Account for 2018/19 Due to HMRC | 31st January 2019 |
| End of the Tax Year | 5th April 2019 |
| Second Payment on Account for 2018/19 Due to HMRC | 31st July 2019 |
| Last date to Register for Self-Assessment with HMRC | 5th October 2019 |
| Due date for Paper Returns | 31st October 2019 |
| Due date for Tax Return if you want HMRC to collect tax through PAYE code and file your Self-Assessment Tax Returns online | 30th December 2019 |
| Due date for all other online Self-Assessment Tax Returns and Balancing Payment due to HMRC | 31st January 2020 |
| Due date for Amendments to be made | 31st January 2021 |
Remember, that if you have not yet filed your tax return for the 2017/18 tax year (6th April 2017 – 5th April 2018) that this is due to HMRC on the 31st January 2019.
Please do not hesitate to contact HB Accountants on directors@hbaccountants.co.uk or 01992 444466 if you need any assistance or have any queries regarding your Self-Assessment Tax Return.
