Personal tax return deadline extension?

Should there be one this year?

Didn't find your answer?

Due to the (continuing) covid interruption to our business we are approximately a month behind where we want to be in terms of filing personal tax returns, how are others doing?

Has anyone heard rumblings of a filing extension for personal tax returns in the same way that companies have had for filing accounts to Companies House?  Here's hoping there is and I am the last to know!

Replies (8)

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By williams lester accountants
23rd Oct 2020 14:43

Hope not, we are right on track and don't need hundreds of clients calling to ask if it applies to them......

If they do, I will be telling them NO, anyway, as we always take February off.

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By Michael Beaver
23rd Oct 2020 15:04

I'd love an extension (and for my clients not to know about it). However, I'd settle for the deadline not moving, but the late filing penalties being waved for returns lodged between 1 Feb and 31 Mar.

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Replying to michaelbeaver:
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By AS44NG
23rd Oct 2020 15:53

That would be a sensible approach by the government. So no chance then! :-)

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By paul.benny
23rd Oct 2020 16:23

Why should there be an extension? Or a suspension of late filing penalties?

Those who leave it to the last minute will still leave it to the last minute however long is allowed.

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Replying to paul.benny:
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By Diana Miller
23rd Oct 2020 20:35

Last year our practice was on track and then in late November 3 out of the 5 of us become ill for 1-2 weeks each with a really really nasty cough/chest infection and each of us felt more poorly than we had in years . Within 3 weeks are tax return deadline schedule was in tatters. I am constantly in fear that we have a repeat this year -that is why I would love a Tax Return extension. We have got in loads of work early this year so we all have weeks of work to take home if we go back into lockdown but if we are too ill to work that will not help. Interesting one member of staff that was ill last November had just returned from a European coach trip on which there were many Chinese tourists - raises an interesting question that will probably never get answered.

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By carnmores
23rd Oct 2020 19:53

actually they should have shortened clients have had plenty of time

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By colinhigginson
23rd Oct 2020 20:23

Seeing as Companies got an extra 3 months it would seem to make sense to extend the deadline.
I wrote to my local MP posing this question - not surprisingly I got back a 2 page letter outlining all the help the government had given employees and businesses but nowhere did it answer the question.

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Replying to colinhigginson:
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By Diana Miller
23rd Oct 2020 20:39

Companies House has not helped us too much as clients have still needed to know the corporation tax bill on time. I don't think HMRC or the government are ever going to give an extension just to help accountants - they will probably assume all the self-employed have been (sadly) sitting at home doing nothing so have had time to do their Tax Returns.

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