HMRC has been issuing the notices to complete a tax return, for the 2019 year.

The 2019 tax returns cover the year 6th April 2018 to 5th April 2019.

Although there is a very final deadline of 31st January 2020 to submit the 2019 returns and avoid a fine, the goal should be to submit the return as soon as possible.

Submitting the return early means that the tax position will be known well in advance, and any tax payments due can be planned for if not already budgeted. Many people are caught out by missing national insurance or payments on account when estimating their tax, so a correct tax computation at an early date is very important as both of these can significantly increase the amount due.