HMRC's 'one week' deadline warning for many workers
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued a warning to those who are required to complete a Self Assessment Tax return
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is warning particular workers to take urgent action before time expires and they face a substantial penalty.
Whilst tax is normally deducted automatically from salaries and pensions, certain people and companies with additional income must submit a Self Assessment Tax return.
Usually, this Self Assessment must be completed following the conclusion of the tax year on April 5.
Nevertheless, if it's your initial time requiring to fill out a tax return form for the preceding tax year, you have only until October 5 to inform HMRC.
Should you overlook this and miss the cut-off date, you could receive a 'failure to notify' penalty from HMRC.
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Who needs to register for Self Assessment
According to government guidance, you must be registered for a Self Assessment if, during the last tax year, you were self-employed as a sole trader and earned more than £1,000 or if you were a partner in a business partnership. You will also be required to fill in a Self Assessment if you had to pay Capital Gains Tax when selling or 'disposing' of something that increased in value or paid the High Income Child Benefit Charge outside of PAYE.
Some people with untaxed income may also be required to send a tax return. This can be for a variety of things, such as:
- Money from renting out a property
- Tips and commission
- Foreign income
- Income from savings, investments and dividends
If you're unsure of whether you need send a Self Assessment tax return, you can use the government's online tool to check. This tool can also be used to register for Self Assessment if you need to.
There’s just one week to go to register for #SelfAssessment if you’re completing a tax return for the first time.
— HM Revenue & Customs (@HMRCgovuk) September 28, 2025
Use our online tool to check if you need to complete a tax return. https://t.co/QLiFE0qwUW pic.twitter.com/LAOVkyLEYx
Failure to notify penalties
A failure to notify penalty may be issued if you do not tell HMRC of tax they believe you owe. These penalties can range drastically in how much HMRC could ask for and is based on a wide variety of factors, including whether it was believed you deliberately didn't notify them or not.
Because of this, penalties for a failure to notify tend to fall within a 'range', going from 0% to 100% of potential lost revenue. If you are issued a failure to notify penalty, you can find full details of how HMRC works out the penalty here.
