The deadline for 2020/21 paper tax returns is 31 October 2021 for those completed on paper forms and 31 January 2022 for online returns.

While the end of January is more than three months away, HMRC has already seen thousands of people filing their returns – more than 63,500 customers filed their tax return on 6 April, the first day of the tax year. Taxpayers can file before the January deadline but still have until 31 January to pay.

Any customer who is new to self assessment must register via gov.uk to receive their Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). Self-employed individuals must also register for Class 2 National Insurance.