1000’s of taxpayers selected to spend a part of their Christmas break tackling their tax affairs, with greater than 4,600 individuals submitting their Self Evaluation returns on Christmas Day alone, new figures present.
Knowledge launched by HM Income and Customs reveals that 37,435 individuals submitted their returns between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, suggesting that for a rising variety of taxpayers, festive submitting is turning into a seasonal behavior.
Christmas Eve proved the busiest of the three days, with 22,350 returns filed. The height hour was between 11am and midday, when 3,159 clients hit submit. On Christmas Day itself, 4,606 individuals accomplished their returns, with the busiest hour falling between 1pm and 2pm. Boxing Day noticed an additional 10,479 returns filed, peaking mid-afternoon.
Whereas many opted to take care of tax fairly than turkey, HMRC discovered attitudes had been blended when it spoke to consumers at Manchester’s Christmas markets, the place most mentioned they’d fairly concentrate on festive meals than funds.
With only one month to go till the 31 January submitting deadline, HMRC is urging those that have but to finish their return to get began as quickly as potential.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s chief buyer officer, mentioned tens of millions of individuals had already filed and will begin the brand new 12 months with “one much less factor to fret about”.
“For anybody but to file, don’t go away it till the final minute,” she mentioned. “Submitting now means you recognize precisely what you owe and have time to rearrange fee.”
Taxpayers who submit their return by 30 December could possibly pay any tax owed by their PAYE tax code, whereas submitting early additionally provides extra time to discover fee plans if wanted.
HMRC highlighted the usage of its app and on-line help instruments, together with step-by-step steering, webinars and YouTube movies, to assist clients full their returns and pay what they owe. The division additionally pointed to a brand new digital PAYE service for the Excessive Earnings Youngster Profit Cost, permitting some claimants to depart Self Evaluation altogether and settle the cost by their tax code as a substitute.
HMRC additionally reminded clients that Winter Gasoline Funds acquired in autumn 2025 don’t must be included on returns for the 2024-25 tax 12 months, as these shall be recovered within the following 12 months’s return.
With the deadline quick approaching, the message from HMRC is evident: submitting early can scale back stress, present readability on liabilities and make the beginning of 2026 a bit of simpler.
