The online filing deadline is 31 January. Registration can take between 7 and 10 days, so make sure you register early to allow yourself plenty of time to file.

If you file your return after the deadline, HMRC will charge you a £100 penalty. You’ll have to pay this even if:

• your return is just a day late
• you have no tax to pay
• you pay all the tax you owe on time.

If your return is even later, you’ll also be charged the following penalties:

• Three months late – a penalty of £10 for each additional day that it's late, for a maximum of 90 days (£900).
• Six months late – an additional £300, or 5% of the tax due if this is higher.
• 12 months late – a further £300, or a further 5% of the tax due if this is higher, or up to 100% of the tax due if you deliberately withhold information to prevent HMRC from assessing your liability. This could be up to 200% if the income or gains not being declared arise outside the UK.

NOTE: If you miss the paper filing deadline (31 October) you can still file your return online as long as you haven’t already filed a paper return.

We strongly recommend online filing because:

• it is secure and convenient
• calculations are done for you automatically
• on-screen help is available if you need it
• you get an immediate acknowledgement that HMRC have received your return.

For further information, please see the link to the HMRC website for Self Assessment Deadlines and for penalties please see: Penalties for sending a late tax return and how to appeal for these penalties please have a look at: Check when and how to appeal.