HMRC: A record number of Brits file tax returns online

Date: 1st February 2011

A record number of people filed their self-assessment tax returns online ahead of the recent deadline, new figures have shown.

The January 31st deadline passed yesterday and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has confirmed that 6.9 million people made use of the online filing platform.

According to the study, this represented 78 per cent of the total number of tax returns - a rise of seven per cent compared to the previous year.

The research also indicated that a number of people left their return until the last minute, with 572,455 people filing on the last day of the deadline.

"Online self-assessment filing even continued over the Christmas holidays, with 845 people filing their returns online on Christmas Day, 2,408 on Boxing Day, 16,230 on New Year's Eve and 5,130 on New Year's Day," the department commented.

"In fact, 96 people put New Year celebrations to one side and filed their return between 11pm and midnight on 31 December 2010. While the January 31st filing deadline has now passed, anyone who hasn't yet filed their 2009-10 tax return is urged to send it to HMRC as soon as possible."

Posted by Emily Smith