IT problems force HMRC to extend tax deadline

IT problems have forced Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to extend the deadline for filing tax returns to midnight on Friday.

The self-assessment website has had problems all day and dozens of Reg readers have been unable to file their tax returns.

But if you've been struggling with the website all day then relax. The deadline has now been extended until midnight on Friday.

HMRC sent us the following statement:

HMRC’s Self Assessment on-line filing service has experienced technical difficulties this morning which has meant that some tax payers have experienced difficulties filing on-line. The system is now rapidly returning to normal levels of service. A record number of 3.6 million taxpayers have already successfully filed on-line with 104,000 filing today.

HMRC takes any disruption of service very seriously and to reflect this no-one who files electronically or by paper by midnight Friday 1 February will face a penalty.

We very much regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

No word yet on what caused the problems. ®