Number of early self assessment filers doubles in five years

18 May 2023

The number of self assessment taxpayers filing their tax return on the first day of the tax year has more than doubled since 2018, HMRC has revealed.

More than 77,500 customers submitted their tax return for the 2022/23 tax year on 6 April 2023, compared to almost 37,000 customers on 6 April 2018.

The deadline to file tax returns for the 2022/23 tax year is 31 January 2024 and customers have been able to submit theirs since the start of the new tax year.

HMRC says that by completing their self assessment return early, customers avoid the stress of last-minute filing – something which encouraged more than 860,000 customers to file their tax return for the 2021/22 tax year on 31 January 2023.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Director General for Customer Services, said: 'Filing your self assessment early means you can spend more time building your business or doing the things that you enjoy and less time worrying about completing your tax return.'