Self assessment – Top ten late filing excuses 2016

It’s that time of the year again, and you should either have submitted, or be in the process of submitting your 2015-16 self assessment tax return in time for the deadline in 15 days time (31 January 2017).  Remember you need to have paid any tax that is due by the same deadline!

At Wellden Turnbull our specialist tax department is in full swing helping our clients meet their self assessment filing deadlines – so if you find yourself thinking of a creative excuse as to why your return is late, give us a call to see if we can help minimise the pain of your tax return going forward. Late tax returns and payments of tax attract penalties and interest, regularly mounting up to more than the cost of a professional preparing your tax return for you – it really is a no brainer. To find out more about our personal tax services click here.

HMRC have released the top 10 excuses used last year by tax payers for late returns – so in reverse order there they are:

  1. “My tax return was on my yacht…which caught fire”
  2. “A wasp in my car caused me to have an accident and my tax return, which was inside, was destroyed”
  3. “My wife helps me with my tax return, but she had a headache for ten days”
  4. “My dog ate my tax return…and all of the reminders”
  5. “I couldn’t complete my tax return, because my husband left me and took our accountant with him. I am currently trying to find a new accountant”
  6. “My child scribbled all over the tax return, so I wasn’t able to send it back”
  7. “I work for myself, but a colleague borrowed my tax return to photocopy it and lost it”
  8. “My husband told me the deadline was the 31 March”
  9. “My internet connection failed”
  10. “The postman doesn’t deliver to my house”

 

The full HMRC post can be read here