Millions of people risk putting off important financial admin because they lack confidence or find it overwhelming, new HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) research has revealed.
HMRC is encouraging Self Assessment customers not to wait until January and to start their tax return now, giving themselves more time to check the information they need, get help if necessary and plan for any tax they owe.
Customers have until 31 January 2027 to file their online Self Assessment tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year and pay any tax owed.
Around 12 million people are expected to file a tax return each year, but around 5 million often leave completing the task until January.
Results from a recent HMRC-commissioned survey into the digital habits of more than 5,200 people showed that, while 35% of people said they are confident they stay on top of their financial admin, more than 18% said they put it off ahead of a deadline because they lack confidence and nearly a quarter said they put it off because it feels overwhelming.
But, more than half of the people who took part in the survey said GOV.UK is their go-to when they need help with tax matters.
Customers can visit GOV.UK to file their Self Assessment tax return online and access a wide range of help and guidance, including webinars and YouTube videos, to help them prepare and submit an accurate tax return.
Self Assessment guidance pages are among the most visited on GOV.UK. Between 1 October 2025 and the 31 January 2026 deadline, Self Assessment help and guidance pages were visited more than 34.2 million times with the most popular being the Personal Tax Account log-in page with 4.3 million visits.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said:
“There is still plenty of time to submit a Self Assessment tax return. By starting early, you have time to check your tax return thoroughly and spot any potential mistakes.
“Help and support is available on GOV.UK, just search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”
Customers who file their tax return now do not need to pay straight away. Instead, they have time to plan for any tax they owe ahead of the deadline.
The quickest and easiest way to pay is through the HMRC app although a list of available payment options are available on GOV.UK.
The HMRC app can also help Self Assessment customers find their Unique Taxpayer Reference, view previous years’ tax summaries, view payment history and set payment reminders, as well as accessing help and information about the tax return process.
If anyone is still unsure if they need to fill in a tax return for the 2025 to 2026 tax year, they can use the Self Assessment checker tool on GOV.UK. They can also register online for Self Assessment if they need to complete a tax return for the last tax year. And, if they no longer need to complete a tax return, they can notify HMRC online.
Customers signed up to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax still need to submit their Self Assessment tax return for 2025 to 2026 in the usual way and pay any taxed owed by 31 January 2027.
