What happens
We all know this situation. The tax calendar has been betraying us, and the HMRC is somewhat unforgiving. There was this birthday, then there was the weekend. However, HMRC does not like late submissions, nor late tax assessments. So, when it comes to handing in a self-assessment return late, here are a couple of pointers.
We appreciate that most self-employed taxpayers have genuine reasons for missing the deadline. Maybe an online failure on HMRC’s behalf, serious illness or not receiving their activation code on time.
However, it is important to keep in mind there are some excuses which don’t go down well with the HMRC and which they will – not surprisingly – not accept. The best advice is to stick to the truth – it is always best to be honest in these circumstances, and you could get yourself in trouble further by making up excuses.
What not to do
Earlier this year, HMRC published a list of the strangest excuses they’ve received from self-employed individuals who missed the return deadline previously. Although some of these are funny to think about, these excuses did nothing to help the situation. We will share some with you here:
- “My mother-in-law is a witch and put a curse on me”.
- “My boiler had broken and my fingers were too cold to type.”
- “I’m too short to reach the post-box.”
- “I was just too busy – my first maid left, my second maid stole from me, and my third maid was very slow to learn”.
- “Our junior member of staff registered our client in Self Assessment by mistake because they were not wearing their glasses”.
Needless to say that these kinds of excuses won’t get you in the good books of your trusting HMRC agent. It will in the best case scenario, it will raise an eyebrow, and in the worst case scenario, the recipient of these excuses will feel rather annoyed and might feel inclined to throw their weight around. So, be careful.
What to do
If you have missed the deadline for whatever reason and you have a good, meaning legitimate reason why you missed it, the worst thing you can do is make up an excuse or ignore the problem – contact HMRC and speak to them about it as soon as you can.
You have received a penalty letter
Alternatively, if you have already been fined for returning a self-assessment late, you can appeal the penalty decision – before appealing you must send your completed tax return or tell HMRC the reasons why you do not need to complete one. You can appeal online or by post. To find out more on how to appeal a penalty decision, follow this penalty appeal link. Also this HMRC document here might be helpful, a little.
To avoid lateness in the future, always make sure you know the deadline for the submission of your self-assessment and tax bill and start your self-assessment several weeks before it is due to be submitted.
Call in the pro’s
If you are having trouble completing your self-assessment, J&P Accountants offer a service to assist sole traders and business partners in completing and submitting their self-assessment tax return. We also assist individuals who have rental, investment or other sources of income to report to HMRC and can help with calculating your income tax.
So don’t struggle in silence. We are here to give you a helping hand. We also provide you with peace of mind in making sure you complete your self-assessment on time and correctly. Please give us a call on 0161 637 1080 or send an e-mail to enquiries@jpaccountant.com. Follow our social media channels for updates on tax and guidance for sole traders.
