HM Revenue and Customs has given taxpayers an extra day to file self assessments after its website crashed for several hours on 31 January, the deadline for filing individual tax returns.

A message on the site on Thursday morning read, “We are sorry but the service is currently unavailable. Further information is provided. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.”

In view of the problems faced by thousands of people in submitting their tax returns online, however, HMRC decided to extend the deadline by 24 hours.  

HMRC said that anyone who filed their self assessment electronically or by paper before midnight on Friday 1 February would not face a £100 a day penalty plus interest on tax payable. The fine does not apply where the amount due is less than £100. 

Despite the problems, HMRC hailed its online filing facility a success. It said that around 104,000 people had submitted their tax forms online on Thursday and a total of 3.6 million had done so in total by the deadline.

Around 90,000 people failed to get their tax return in by the deadline last year. 

Advertising campaign 

HMRC has heavily promoted its online filing facility for tax returns through an advertising campaign headed by TV presenter Adam Hart-Davis. Around 150,000 people filed their tax return on the final day last year.

HMRC dismissed claims by some newspapers and broadcast media that its online filing systems are not secure because Members of Parliament and a small number of other taxpayers cannot use the self assessment service.

“This is completely untrue. A small minority of taxpayers, including MPs, cannot currently use online services because the additional internal safeguards on their records mean that their taxpayer reference numbers are not recognised on the authentication system,” a spokesman said.

HMRC added that this had nothing to do with the security of its online services. It said that its online services use the highest levels of encryption generally available and authentication processes similar to online banks.

Almost three million self assessment taxpayers have used the website to file their return.

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• HMRC ramps up self assessment probes
• Small firms fined hundreds of millions over late tax returns

Related links

• HMRC
• Self assessment website

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