Submission of 31 October tax return – who does it apply to?

If you need to complete a 2021-22 tax return but haven’t submitted one before, you’ll need to register with HMRC to get your ten-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which is a piece of information you’ll need in order to complete your tax return. 

The last tax year started on 6 April 2021 and ended on 5 April 2022. The deadline for letting HMRC know that you need to submit a tax return for the last tax year is 5 October 2022. You can do this by registering for Self Assessment.

The deadline for filing a paper tax return for 2021-22 tax year is 31 October 2022, and the deadline for filing an online tax return is 31 January 2023. The deadline for paying the tax you owe, whether you’ve submitted via post or online, is also 31 January 2023. 

You may also be required to make payments on account, which are advance payments. If so, this second payment deadline is 31 July 2023. 

According to HMRC, you can’t file a tax return online for the things listed below. Instead, you’ll have to use commercial software or download other forms.

• a partnership

• a trust or estate

• if you lived abroad as a non-resident

• to report multiple ‘chargeable gains’, for example from life insurance

• if you get income from a trust, you’re a Lloyd’s underwriter or a religious minister

One benefit of filing your tax return ahead of the deadline is that you’ll know how much you owe, giving you more time to budget and plan your finances. By filing earlier, you could also get refunded quicker if you’re owed a refund. 

How do I register for a self assessment tax return?

You need to register for Self Assessment before you can file your tax return.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll receive your UTR. To file your tax return online, create a Government Gateway account – the instructions for how to do this are on your UTR letter from HMRC. 

After you’ve set up your Government Gateway account, you’ll receive an activation code through the post that will enable you to finish setting up the account. Make sure that you can access your Government Gateway account ahead of the deadline so that you don’t end up too stressed if you can’t log in!

What do I need to complete a self assessment tax return?

As with everything in business, it helps to be as prepared as possible. Try to have all the documentation for your tax return to hand. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Your UTR

• Your National Insurance number

• Details of your untaxed income for 2021-22

• Expenses records for self-employment

• Details of charity or pensions contributions

• P60 or other information relating to any income you’ve already paid tax on 

How do I pay my self assessment tax return?

If you’ve filed your self assessment tax return and now want to pay the money you owe, visit gov.uk’s page on how to pay your self assessment tax return. There are a few different options for how to pay, including through the free HMRC app. 

If you’re worried that you can’t pay your tax bill on time, there is support available. 

For instance, you might be able to pay via the Time to Pay service. HMRC’s Time to Pay service allows eligible individuals and businesses with up to £30,000 of tax debt to to spread their tax payments over a time and pay in instalments. 

Tax return dates summary

• Register for Self Assessment – 5 October 2022

• Paper tax returns – Midnight 31 October 2022

• Online tax returns – Midnight 31 January 2023

• Pay the tax you owe – Midnight 31 January 2023

• Payments on account (if applicable) - 31 July 2023

If you miss a deadline, you’ll have to pay a penalty. (Providing you have a reasonable excuse, you might be able to appeal the penalty.)

There are certain scenarios where your tax return deadline might differ. 

For example, if you want HMRC to collect tax owed through your tax code, the deadline to file your online return is 31 October 2022 for paper and 30 December 2022 for online. This option may apply to you if you owe less than £3,000 on your tax bill and you already pay tax through PAYE.

Another example is partnerships. 

If you have a company as a partner, and your partnership’s accounting date is between 1 February and 5 April (and one of your partners is a limited company), the deadline for online returns is 12 months from the accounting date. 

The deadline for paper returns is nine months from the accounting date. 

Finance to pay a tax or VAT bill

There are a range of finance options out there designed to help you maintain your company cash flow when faced with a bill. 

If you require business finance to help you plan and trade with confidence, tell us how much you need to borrow, what it's for and provide some basic information about your business. It takes minutes to apply, there’s no obligation, and it’s easy to use.