Final call for HMRC tax returns: Avoid the £100 fine with this 5-minute fix

The **£100 fine** for missing HMRC’s online filing deadline hits without drama, just an email and a knot in your stomach. If you’re still hunting figures or waiting on paperwork, there’s a legal trick that buys you time and keeps that penalty away.

It’s 10.47pm and the kitchen table looks like a tax crime scene. Receipts lean in glasses, a P60 peeks out from under a takeaway menu, and the HMRC app icon stares back like a dare. Somewhere in the distance, a washing machine beeps, and you think, maybe I’ll do this tomorrow. Then the calendar flashes: 31 January. You tap through, you hesitate, you remember last year’s penalty letter with its polite firmness. We’ve all lived that moment when procrastination collides with a hard deadline. The truth is simpler than the dread suggests. There’s a five-minute move that changes the whole night. Watch what happens next.

The real shape of the deadline

The **31 January deadline** isn’t a moral test. It’s a timestamp. File the return by midnight and you dodge the automatic £100 late filing charge. Pay what you owe by the same date and you avoid interest starting the very next day. Two switches. Two outcomes.

Here’s the messy reality. Around a million people miss the cut each year, often because one figure didn’t arrive or a login went walkabout. A London freelancer told me he filed at 11.58pm last year using estimates, then amended in March when his final statement popped in. He avoided the penalty and slept like a fed cat. The form didn’t bite. He just needed the nudge.

HMRC’s own rules allow you to submit with provisional figures when you can’t get the final numbers in time. You note that some entries are “provisional”, explain why, and submit. Later, inside the amendment window, you correct them. That’s it. File now, refine later. The fine looks for a late return, not imperfect data flagged in good faith. Breathe — you have options.

The five‑minute fix: file now with provisional figures

Here’s the **5-minute fix** in plain English. Log in to your Government Gateway. Open your Self Assessment return for the year in question. Fill the mandatory bits, add your best estimates for any numbers you don’t have, and mark them “provisional” in the online journey when asked. Drop a short note in “Any other information” explaining what’s missing and when you expect it. Submit. Save the receipt number.

What counts as an estimate? Totals you can back up later: a rough sum of bank interest, a near-final trading profit, dividends from last year’s pattern if this year’s statement hasn’t landed. Either way, you’re not guessing wildly; you’re bridging time. Pay what you reasonably think you owe to limit interest from 1 February. Top it up, or claim a refund, once you amend.

Let’s be honest: nobody actually does that every day. People muddle figures, forget to tick the “provisional” step, or close the browser before hitting the final orange “Submit” button. It’s okay. The goal tonight is a filed return and a reference in your inbox. Then set a reminder to amend within the usual window (you can amend online after filing, up to 12 months after the normal filing deadline). That reminder is your safety net.

“File first, perfect later. HMRC’s system is designed for that — as long as you say which figures are provisional and why.” — Sarah Jones, chartered tax adviser

• Have to hand: UTR, NI number, last year’s return, and rough totals.
• Tick the “provisional figures” prompt and add a one‑line reason.
• Download your submission receipt and payment reference.
• Set a calendar alert to amend when the final paperwork lands.

What to watch for, what to fix next

Common snags are boring and beatable. Don’t overcomplicate the return: only open sections that apply to you. Don’t skip the “Any other information” box when using estimates — a single sentence like “Using provisional bank interest; final certificate due mid‑February” is enough. And don’t forget payment: if you owe tax, even a part‑payment tonight cuts the interest meter.

There’s also a quiet escape hatch. If HMRC sent you a notice to file but you genuinely didn’t meet the Self Assessment criteria last year, ask them to withdraw the return. If they agree, the obligation vanishes, and so does the fine. That’s not a midnight fix, but it’s worth knowing if you’ve been dragged into the system by habit rather than need.

Interest isn’t the villain if you act. It’s the cost of time. File now and you protect yourself from the automatic charge. Pay what you can and you shrink interest from day one. If cashflow hurts, set up a Time to Pay arrangement online after you file — quick to do, kinder on nerves. The momentum matters more than perfection.

On a human level, this whole dance is about control. One click tonight buys it back. The rules are drier than toast, but they reward movement.

The open road after midnight

You’ll feel it the second the confirmation screen lands: the room gets quieter. No penalty email in a week. No letter in March with that bureaucratic sigh. Just a to‑do later to swap provisional for final numbers, and a plan to square the balance. Talk to your mate who still hasn’t started. Share the trick in the group chat. The weird thing about tax is that the scariest bit is rarely the numbers; it’s the waiting, the hovering, the “maybe tomorrow.” File, breathe, sleep. When your documents arrive, replace the estimates and carry on. If life went sideways this winter, give yourself grace and set up Time to Pay rather than ignoring the bill. And if you’re looking for a tiny habit that helps next year, drop totals in a note on the first of each month. No pressure, just breadcrumbs for future you. The penalty doesn’t care about perfect. It cares about late.

FAQ :

• When does the £100 penalty apply?It applies if your online Self Assessment return isn’t filed by 31 January. It’s automatic from 1 February, even if you owe no tax.
• Can I legally file with estimates?Yes. Use provisional figures where needed, state the reason, and amend with the final numbers within the amendment window.
• How long do I have to amend a return?You can amend online after submission, up to 12 months after the normal filing deadline for that tax year.
• What if I can’t pay in full?File anyway to dodge the late filing penalty, then set up a Time to Pay plan online to spread the cost and limit stress.
• What if I don’t think I needed to file?Contact HMRC to request withdrawal of the return. If they agree, the obligation and any related filing penalty are removed.