- 4,606 people filed their Self Assessment tax return on Christmas Day
- 37,435 people completed their return over the three-day festive period
- One month to go until 31 January deadline – HMRC encourages customers to get started now
More than 4,600 Self Assessment customers filed their tax return on Christmas Day.
In total, 37,435 customers filed between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, suggesting that for some, festive filing is becoming as much a tradition as watching the King’s Speech (or avoiding the washing up).
Not everyone’s convinced, though. When HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) spoke to Self Assessment customers at the Manchester Christmas market, turkey – not tax returns – was firmly on the menu. Watch their reactions below.
Manchester Christmas market reaction
The festive filing breakdown shows:
- Christmas Eve (24 December): 22,350 tax returns filed, with peak filing time between 11:00 and 11:59 when 3,159 customers submitted their returns.
- Christmas Day (25 December): 4,606 tax returns filed, with the busiest hour between 13:00 and 13:59 when 359 returns were received.
- Boxing Day (26 December): 10,479 tax returns filed, – peaking between 15:00 and 15:59 with 946 submissions.
HMRC is encouraging Self Assessment customers, who have not yet filed their tax return, to visit GOV.UK to start theirs today.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said:
Millions of customers have already completed their tax returns and can start 2026 with one less thing to worry about.
For anyone yet to file, don’t leave it until the last minute. Filing now means you know exactly what you owe and have time to arrange payment. Search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to get started.
Customers who file before 30 December may have the option of paying any tax owed through their PAYE tax code. Filing early also means more time to explore payment options if needed.
The HMRC app makes it simple to pay your Self Assessment bill and set up payment reminders. Customers can also find help online including YouTube videos, webinars and step-by-step guidance covering different sections of a tax return. For a list of all payment methods, search ‘Pay your Self Assessment tax bill’ on GOV.UK.
The new High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) PAYE digital service means thousands of Child Benefit claimants who are only in Self Assessment to pay HICBC can now opt out and can choose to pay the charge back through their tax code.
Eligible customers can call HMRC to de-register from Self Assessment before the filing deadline in a tax year. Where a tax return has already been sent, customers can choose to de-register from the following tax year. HMRC will then amend their tax code and they will be registered to pay HICBC through PAYE.
Customers do not need to include their 2025 Winter Fuel Payment, or Pension Age Winter Heating payment in Scotland, on their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year as payments received in Autumn 2025 will be recovered in the 2025 to 2026 tax return, due by 31 January 2027.
HMRC urges customers to stay alert to scams. Never share your HMRC login details with anyone. Find advice on spotting scams on GOV.UK.
Further information
Comparative data for 2024:
- Christmas Eve: 23,731 filed (peak 11:00 to 11:59 with 3,458)
- Christmas Day: 4,409 filed (peak 15:00 to 15:59 with 368)
- Boxing Day: 11,932 filed (peak 16:00 to 16:59 with 1,108)
More information on Self Assessment
More than 97% of Self Assessment returns are filed online. HMRC’s online service is available all year round.
Help available online includes:
Sole traders and landlords with a turnover above £50,000 will be required to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax from 6 April 2026 and be required to submit quarterly summaries of their income and expenses to HMRC. HMRC is urging eligible customers to sign up to a testing programme on GOV.UK to familiarise themselves with the new service and start preparing now. Agents can also register their clients via GOV.UK.
Capital Gains Tax rates for disposals of assets on or after 30 October 2024 have changed and the Self Assessment tax return will not automatically calculate at the new main rates for the 2024 to 2025 tax year. Taxpayers may need to work out an adjustment to the tax automatically calculated and can use the adjustment calculator on GOV.UK.
Customers unable to pay in full by 31 January may set up a Time to Pay arrangement online if they owe less than £30,000.
