Statistics suggest who might file tax return late

According to statistics in a recent article published by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) women are more likely than men to send in their annual tax return on time.

Statistics show that almost 4% of all men submitted their returns late, whilst only 3.5% of women missed the filing deadline.

Not only is gender a factor, but statistics also show that age comes into play when looking at how likely a person is to file on time. HMRC analysis found that the older the individual, the more likely they are to file their tax return on time.  Individuals aged between 18-20 are apparently the most likely to be late.  A whopping 10.8% on average of those within the 18-20 age group fail to submit before the 31 January deadline, whilst those aged over 65 are the least likely to miss the filing date with only 1.6% filing late.

Regional variations were also noted.  Although only marginally different, those in Northern Ireland were the most punctual, followed by those in Wales, then England with Scotland the slowest to file.

Scott Burkinshaw, tax partner comments “whatever your age, gender or location, if you haven’t completed and submitted your 2013-14 tax return, you must make sure that you do so without delay.  Failure to submit by 31 January 2015 could result in penalties, which increase the later you file.   Not only must you file your return, but any tax outstanding must also be paid by midnight 31 January”