HMRC updates on paper tax returns

Date: 29th October 2009

New advice on paper self assessment tax returns has been issued by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), with the postal strikes showing little sign of coming to an end.

The taxation authority advised customers that, even though the deadline for filing is October 31st, customers worried about the industrial action will not be fined if they deliver the paper forms to its offices by November 2nd.

Current rules state that people who file their paper tax returns late are fined £100, assuming that this group also misses the subsequent January 31st deadline for filing online.

Royal Mail and postal workers have been locked in a dispute over the modernisation of the service for months - and national strike action was called last Thursday and Friday as a result.

New strikes have also been called from today to Saturday - and further industrial action is predicted for the days and weeks to come.

"If you are lucky enough to have a local tax office, hand deliver the return," HMRC advised.

Commenting on the new strikes, David Frost of the British Chambers of Commerce said: "No one is benefiting from ongoing industrial action and hard-pressed businesses are the innocent victims.

"With the country still in recession, this really is a poorly timed strike."