Important tax dates and deadlines

Our handy calendars will make sure you never miss an important deadline. Knowing what you need to do means you'll never have the stress of running round at the last minute to get things ready for HMRC and risking forgetting something. If you're a RIFT customer then we'll take care of all this for you and get in touch to remind you of any information or paperwork we need from you well in advance.

Tax Return Enquiry About Tax Returns

Tax DatesDates and deadlines for individuals

05 April	End of tax year Tax years in the UK run from the 6th of April to the 5th of April the following calendar year. Why? Well, the short answer is to blame Pope Gregory XIII and the fact that September 1752 was missing 11 days. After that, things get complicated! The best thing to do is call us if you have any questions.
31 July	2nd payment on account of tax for 2016/17 due to HMRC Payments on account are HMRC's way of spreading out the payments of people using Self Assessment over the year. They're advance payments of the tax you'll owe in the next tax year. Read more about payments on account.
05 October	Deadline to advise HMRC that you need to register for self assessment for the tax year. You need to register by 5 October following the end of the tax year you need to send a tax return for. The tax year is from 6 April to 5 April the following year. If you register late, you won’t get a penalty as long as you pay your Self Assessment bill in full by the deadline. It can take 20 working days (this is usually 4 weeks) to complete the registration process. Allow plenty of time so you can send your tax return by the deadline. To register you will need an SA-1 form. You can download this from our site. When your registration is complete HMRC will supply with your 10 digit UTR number that you will need for submitting your tax return.
31 October	Deadline for filing paper income tax return with HMRC The deadline for submitting Self Assessment tax returns on paper is earlier than if you're doing it online. Don't get caught out by this! If you miss this deadline you can still submit your tax return online.
31 October	Deadline for submitting tax return if you want HMRC to calculate your tax liability (the amount of tax you must pay). If you want the taxman to do your homework for you, you'll have to send in your paperwork early. This usually only happens when you're filing on paper, as the online forms do all the calculations for you.
30 December	Deadline for filing income tax return with HMRC if you want any tax collected through your PAYE coding (under £3,000) It's sometimes possible to have the tax you owe collected automatically through your PAYE tax code, if you have one. Again, though, you have to file your return earlier than the standard deadline to take advantage of this. If you are self employed and do not have a PAYE tax code then you will have to make payment of any tax due directly to HMRC. If you will find it difficult to make a lump sum payment then it is sometime possible to agree a repayment plan. If you are RIFT customer then this is part of our inclusive aftercare service if required.
31 January	Balance of any tax, National Insurance and student loan owed to HMRC for 2014/15 must be paid. Another crucial deadline. If you don't pay up the tax you owe on time, you're asking for serious trouble. This includes any payments on account you owe to cover next year's tax.
31 January	LAST DAY TO FILE YOUR INCOME TAX RETURN. 1st payment on account of tax for 2015/16 due to HMRC If you're on Self Assessment, then there should be a big red circle around January the 31st on your calendar. This is your last chance to get your Self Assessment tax return filed AND to pay the tax you owe on it! Learn more about Self Assessment here.

Tax DatesTax dates and deadlines for companies

There are a number of different schedules, all with their own deadlines, that companies must be aware of. Some of these are set dates for everything in the UK, but some depend on your own accounting periods or when your company was set up.

CIS

Returns must reach HMRC by the 19th of each month.

For example, the return for the period 6 May - 5 June must be filed by 19 June

Corporation tax

Corporation tax payments are due 9 months and 1 day following your financial year end.

For example, if your year end is 31 December 2015 any corporation tax owed must be paid by 1 October 2016.

VAT

Due dates for returns and payments:

Your VAT payments are due 1 calendar month and 7 days after the end of an accounting period. You need to allow time for the payment to reach HMRC’s account.

The deadlines are different if you use the VAT Annual Accounting Scheme. You can find out more about it on the HMRC website.

You must submit your return online unless:

your business is subject to an insolvency procedure (if you have a Company Voluntary Arrangement or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement you can submit your return online if you want to)
you object to using computers on religious grounds
you can’t because of your age, a disability or because of where you live, eg you don’t have internet access

Contact HM Revenue and Customs HMRC to find out how to submit your return if you can’t submit online.

You must pay VAT to HMRC electronically, eg through direct debit or internet banking. Most businesses aren’t allowed to pay by cheque. If you have any problems paying your VAT bill then contact HRMC immediately.

PAYE payment information

Under HMRC RTI (Real Time Information) rules, an employer must file details of any payments made to employees on or before the date that a payment is made to the employee.

Payments of PAYE and National Insurance must reach HMRC by the 19th of the month following the tax month in which the salary payment was made, if paying by cheque, or by the 22nd of the month if paying electronically.

If the 19th or 22nd falls on a weekend or bank holiday, payment must reach them on the last working day BEFORE the weekend or holiday.

19 April	Final submission must be made to HMRC under RTI for the year, including answering the “end of year questions”
31 May	P60’s to be given to all employees
31 May	P11d to be filed with HMRC
19th of the month following the tax month in which the salary payment is made	Class 1 A payment to reach HMRC (postal)
22nd of the month following the tax month in which the salary payment is made	Class 1 A payment to reach HMRC (electronic)

Fines and PenaltiesWhat happens if I miss a deadline?

If you haven't filed by the 31st of January or you've missed your July payment on account, HMRC will chase you. The penalties for failing to file your return or pay your tax are severe.

If you miss a filing deadline by just one day, you're already looking at a £100 fine!

If you've made a geniune mistake or have a reason HMRC considers acceptable for late filing then there are steps you can take - but you need to act quickly.

How can we help you?

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