Rise in Christmas Day tax returns

Serious issues like tax might seem to be the kind of thing to forget about on Christmas Day, but new figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have indicated that a rising number of people have opted to fill in their online returns on December 25th.

By 08:00, more than 200 returns had been submitted, with the peak time for sending them being between 13:00 and 14:00. The day’s final total of 2,616 was 1% up on the 2017 total of 2,590. On Boxing Day, 8,465 filled in their returns, an 11% jump on the 2017 tally.

HMRC Director General for Customer Services Angela MacDonald said, “Whether you fit it in while cooking the Christmas turkey, once the kids have gone to bed, or after the Queen’s Speech, our online service is available for you to file your tax return at a time that suits you.”