More than a quarter of people feel anxious when a tax or money deadline is coming up, according to an HMRC-commissioned survey reported by the BBC. The tax authority is pointing Self Assessment customers towards starting their returns early, ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

Key points

  • Survey findings — more than 26% of people said financial or tax deadlines make them anxious.
  • Online deadline — Self Assessment returns and any tax owed for 2025 to 2026 must be in by 31 January 2027.
  • Paper deadline — paper returns for the same year are due by 31 October 2026.
  • Help available — guidance and a checker tool are on GOV.UK.

For the 2025 to 2026 tax year, returns filed online and any tax owed must reach HMRC by 31 January 2027, while the paper filing cut-off is 31 October 2026. According to HMRC, millions of customers opt to submit well ahead of the January cut-off, and on World Mental Health Day itself last year, over 24,000 did so.

According to HMRC's Chief Customer Officer, Myrtle Lloyd, starting early lets you get organised and tackle your tax return in manageable bitesize chunks rather than feeling overwhelmed, which is always better. She added that GOV.UK has help available. Gathering records before starting, saving a part-finished return and returning to it later, checking the figures carefully, and planning how to pay any bill, for example in monthly instalments, are among HMRC's tips.

The Self Assessment checker on GOV.UK can be used by people unsure whether they need to file; there they can also register or inform HMRC that a return is no longer required. A Self Assessment return must still be submitted and what is owed paid by 31 January 2027 for those enrolled in Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. With a PAYE income, filing online before 30 December lets customers have tax owed collected through their tax code.

Customers who got the 2025 to 2026 Winter Fuel Payment, or the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment in Scotland, should also check, HMRC said, that it shows up in their online return and manually add it if it does not. Through their Self Assessment bill, those whose total income exceeds £35,000 repay the payment. Child Benefit details will now be filled in for them on their online return for around 300,000 people paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge. NHS 111 or a mental health charity are advised for anyone having mental health difficulties.

Editor's comment

What it means in practice

If you file a Self Assessment return, the date to diary is 31 January 2027 for online filing and payment, or 31 October 2026 if you use paper. Starting now spreads the job over weeks rather than one stressful evening, and it gives you time to query anything that looks wrong before the deadline.

  • Records first — dig out payslips, invoices and bank details before you log in, so you are not hunting for them mid-return.
  • Check the extras — Winter Fuel Payment and Child Benefit figures may be filled in for you, but you should confirm them and add anything missing.
  • Plan the payment — if a lump sum looks hard, look at paying in instalments or through your tax code before the bill arrives.