More than 40,000 people found time between turkey dinners and tinsel to fill in their 2023–24 self-assessment tax returns over the festive period, new HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures reveal.
While many were eating Christmas leftovers or huddled around the TV, 4,400 people submitted their online returns on Christmas Day itself. A further 11,932 switched the Boxing Day sales to top up, while 23,731 prepared their returns on Christmas Eve rather than leaving it to the last minute.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General of Customer Services, praised early filers for gaining peace of mind before the New Year celebrations begin. He added: “For anyone who hasn’t started, our online service is available all year round – plenty of time to do it before 31 January.
Taxpayers who file online by 30 December can choose to pay any tax they owe using their PAYE tax code, while the payment deadline remains 31 January 2025.
