I was supposed to send this out last week but time got away from me, other things felt more pressing, and somehow a post about not putting things off ended up… postponed. Don’t worry, the irony of that isn’t lost on me!

I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that one thing people often put off in exactly the same way is the self-assessment tax return. We’re in September and the 2025/26 tax year started on 6 April. HMRC is ready and waiting. And yet, most people won’t touch it until January, when the panic emails arrive and suddenly there are three weeks left.

The deadline that catches people out

The 31 January deadline catches people out as it isn’t just about filing; it’s also when the tax is actually due to be paid.
Whenever your tax return gets submitted, the bill is due on or before 31 January. If it’s late, you get interest on top. If you’re late by more than three months, there’s a 5% penalty on the unpaid tax. Late again after six months, you get another 5%. And if you’re still not paying after a year, it can escalate further.
The thing is: waiting until January doesn’t change when the tax is due. The payment date is always 31 January. All you’ve done by waiting is remove the time you may need to deal with it.

Some reasons people put it off:

Procrastination around tax returns isn’t laziness. It’s almost always one of three things:

• Uncertainty – “I’m not sure what I need to include” or “I don’t know if I’ve got all my paperwork”. The task feels bigger than it is because the edges are blurry. (hint -if you’re a Hive client, we will ensure you’re not in the dark and have ample time to get your information in to us)
• Avoidance – there’s a low-level anxiety about what the number might be. If you don’t submit it, you don’t have to know. The lesson here is that the sooner you know the size of the ‘problem, ’ the more solutions you’ll likely have.
• False urgency – the deadline is months away, so something with a nearer deadline always takes priority. January will sort itself out. Which may be fine if you don’t want an opportunity to reduce your tax bill going forward and your accountant doesn’t have any other clients in the same boat.

All three are recognisable. All three make January harder than it needs to be. And all three dissolve pretty quickly once you actually start — which is almost always the case with the things we avoid.

How to actually get it done

Right now, we’re in September. We’ve already had over 50% of our clients send us their information. They’ll be in the queue and moving through it. The ones who send stuff in September and October are next. Then come November, December… and then January arrives and everyone’s in a panic at the same time.

If you get your information to us as soon as the year end has passed (when we first request it from you) and reply promptly to queries, the process is seamless. We send you a checklist of exactly what we need and where you can upload the documents you need to. For most people it’s straightforward — NHS payment records, private income , any expenses you want to claim, a note of your mileage. You send it across, we work through it and let you know any queries (which is usual), and then you know what you owe with ample time to pay your bill.

If you’re with Hive, look for the checklist we’ve sent you. Spend an hour or so pulling the bits together and send it back to us. The faster you do that, the sooner you move up the queue and the sooner you get your answer.

If you’re not with us yet, the principle’s the same. Find an accountant who understands your business, tell them you want to be done by October, and make it happen. If you’re a dentist, contact us to find out how to join Hive.

January is the deadline, not the starting line

That line’s going round social media at the moment. And it’s right.

If you send your stuff in September, you could know what you owe before the end of the year. You’ll have time to sort cash flow, move things around if you need to, or book a time-to-pay arrangement with HMRC. You’ll sleep better for it.

If you send it in December, you’re at the bottom of the queue with no guarantee you’ll have your bill in time for the payment deadline. You will have fewer options and a bad start to the New Year if you end up paying more than you need to HMRC because of interest.

One of those is significantly less stressful than the other.

We’re in September. Over half our clients have already sent their information. The queue’s moving. The 2025/26 tax year is underway, and we’re ready to process returns. If you’re with Hive, you’ve got the checklist. Do it now. If you’re thinking about moving to us, get in touch. Either way, don’t be the person scrambling in January. And my next article is already drafted and ready to go. I decided future me would be grateful for that!