More than 4,400 self employed workers avoided peeling the sprouts to file their tax return online on Christmas Day, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can reveal.
In total, 40,072 customers – as well as spending the three-day holiday indulging in usual Christmas pastimes of eating, drinking and watching festive favourites on the TV – found time to go online and wrap up their 2023 to 2024 tax return, ahead of the January 31 deadline.
Festive filing statistics show that over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day:
- 3pm – 3.59pm proved to be the most popular time to file on the big day itself, with 368 filing their return
- 11,932 customers missed out on leftovers for lunch, submitting their tax return on Boxing Day, with the most popular time being 4pm – 4.59pm and 1,108 filing during that time.
- 23,731 filed on Christmas Eve instead of last-minute shopping and wrapping. The most popular time was 11pm – 11.59pm when 3,458 filed their tax return
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for Customer Services, said: “People who need to file a Self Assessment return and already have, can enjoy the rest of the festive period knowing they’ve got it wrapped up for another year, and can enjoy singing Auld Lang Syne knowing their tax affairs are in order.
“For those who haven’t started yet, our online service is available 365 days a year so there’s still a chance to get it done before 2024 is out! Go to GOV.UK and search ‘Self Assessment’ to access the online help and start today.”
Customers who have already submitted their tax return online have until January 31, 2025, to pay the tax they owe.
The quickest and easiest way to pay a Self Assessment tax bill is via the HMRC app. For a full list of ways to pay, visit GOV.UK.
