Tax deadline

More than 9million people file a Self Assessment tax return every year, including around 234,000 people in Northern Ireland.

The October 31 deadline for paper returns has now passed, which means you must file your return online by the 31 January deadline. If you submit a paper return after 31 October, or you file online after 31 January, you could receive a 100 penalty.

If you’re a first-time Self Assessment filer, or you are new to online filing, you’ll first need to register for HMRC’s Self Assessment Online service at www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa and click “Register for Self Assessment Online”. Once you’ve registered, an Activation Code will be sent to you in the post – it may take up to seven days for this to arrive, so it’s advisable to register as soon as possible.

When filing online, your tax is calculated automatically, you get an online acknowledgement once you’ve filed, and it’s processed faster, so any money you’re owed is repaid more quickly.

Paddy Harty, Senior Tax Partner, said: “Don’t forget that 31 January is also the deadline to pay any tax you owe for the 2008/09 tax year. If you pay your tax late, HMRC will charge interest from the date the tax was due until your payment is received.”

Help is available from the HMRC website at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa