Welcome to our new ‘5-minute read’ series. The aim of these communications is to provide you with a quick update to assist you in keeping on top of upcoming deadlines and/or changes. In this update, we take a look at the filing deadline/penalties for the 2027 Self Assessment Tax Return.
31 January 2027 – Late Filing Penalties
- 31 January 2027 is the filing deadline for submitting your online 2025/26 self assessment tax return form
- If the 2026/27 tax return form is not submitted before 31 January 2027, an automatic late filing penalty of £100 will be imposed by HMRC
- If the tax return form is not submitted within 90 days (1 May) of 31/01/27, then daily penalties of £10 will be imposed
- If the tax return form is not submitted within 6 months (1 August) an additional penalty of £300 or 5% of the tax owing (whichever is greater) will be imposed
- Additional penalties will continue to be incurred until the form is submitted to HMRC.
Exceptions
- The filing deadline for submission of paper 2025/26 self assessment tax return forms is 31 October 2026
- If HMRC issues a notice to file on or after 1 November 2026, you will have three months from the date of issue to submit the return before penalties apply. Payment deadlines remain unchanged.
31 January 2027 – Payment of Liability
- 31 January 2027 is the deadline for payment of your 2025/26 tax liability.
- 31 January 2027 is the deadline for payment of the first payment on account towards your 2026/27 liability (50% of prior year liability)
- Interest will accrue on a daily basis if the liability is not paid on time, until it has been paid
- A 5% surcharge will be incurred if the 2025/26 liability is not paid within 30 days of 31 January 2027
- An additional 5% surcharge will incur if the liability has not been paid within 6 months of 31 January 2027
- Additional penalties will continue to be incurred until the liability is paid.
You can make payment of any tax liabilities direct to HMRC by clicking here.
Exceptions
- If you cannot pay in full by 31 January 2027, you should contact HMRC before the deadline to request a Time to Pay instalment arrangement (granted at HMRC’s discretion).The payment arrangement should be requested before 31 January 2027
- If your underpayment for 2025/26 is less than £3,000, it may be possible to collect it through your tax code, provided your return is submitted before 31 December 2026.
Speak with your advisor
It is important to provide your Advisor with the information required to complete your 2025/26 tax return as soon as possible after 6 April 2026. Early preparation allows your liability to be calculated well ahead of the payment deadline, ensures any queries can be resolved promptly, and may create opportunities for tax planning.
Please contact your usual Advisor, or a member of our team, and provide your tax return information before 31 October 2026, unless you have already done so. Get in touch with our tax team
