DW Accountancy

01/02/2026

📣 Got a Late Filing Penalty from HMRC? Here’s How to Appeal! 📣

If you’ve been charged a late filing penalty for your Self-Assessment tax return, don’t panic — you may be able to appeal! We’ve helped many clients through the process, and here’s a clear step-by-step guide to help you understand what to do next.

🧾 What Is a Late Filing Penalty?

HMRC charges penalties if your Self-Assessment tax return isn’t filed by the deadline. However, if you have a reasonable excuse for filing late, you can appeal the penalty.

🔍 Step-By-Step Guide to Appealing

1️⃣ Check Your Eligibility to Appeal

You can appeal a late filing or late payment penalty if you believe HMRC:
✔ Made a mistake
✔ Didn’t have enough information
✔ Didn’t consider your reasonable excuse

Common reasonable excuses include:
• Serious illness or bereavement
• Fire, flood, or theft
• HMRC system issues
• Unavoidable postal delays

👉 Note: Forgetting the deadline or not knowing the rules is NOT usually accepted as a reasonable excuse.

2️⃣ Collect Supporting Evidence

Before you appeal, gather documents that support your excuse, such as:
🗂 Medical certificates
📩 Emails or correspondence
📆 Proof of technical issues
🧾 Other relevant records

This significantly improves the chance of a successful appeal.

3️⃣ Submit Your Appeal to HMRC

You can appeal online through the official HMRC guidance page here:
🔗 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-to-appeal-a-self-assessment-penalty-for-late-filing-or-late-payment

Follow the instructions on the page to complete your appeal.

4️⃣ Contact HMRC if You Need Help

Prefer to speak with someone directly? HMRC’s Self-Assessment Helpline is available on:
📞 0300 200 3310

This can help answer specific questions about your penalty or appeal.

5️⃣ Wait for HMRC’s Response

After you’ve submitted your appeal, HMRC will review it and respond. This can take a few weeks, depending on complexity and workload.

✅ Top Tips

✨ Be honest and detailed in your explanation
✨ Provide all relevant evidence upfront
✨ Keep all correspondence and reference numbers

If you’re unsure whether you qualify for an appeal or need help preparing your submission, we’re here to help! 💼 Send us a message or call us today for personalised support.

16/01/2026

🚨The deadline for 2024/25 Self-Assessments is now just 2 weeks away 🚨

As the new client onboarding process takes upto a couple of weeks this weekend will be the final call for any new registrations after which point I will no longer be able to guarantee that their 2024/25 self-assessment will be submitted on time.

To avoid receiving a late filing penalty from HMRC please get in touch now

04/01/2026

📣 Struggling with your Income Tax bill? HMRC Time to Pay Arrangement Explained 💼💷

Tax bills can arrive at the worst possible time. If you’re finding it difficult to pay your Self-Assessment Income Tax on time, you may be eligible to set up a “Time to Pay” arrangement with HMRC — giving you more flexibility to spread payments over an agreed period.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process:

🧾 Step-by-Step: How to Set Up a Time to Pay Arrangement

Check Eligibility
✔ You’ve received a Self-Assessment bill
✔ Amount due in income tax is £30,000 or less
✔ Amount due to HMRC within 60 days
✔ You cannot pay the full amount by the deadline
✔ You can demonstrate that you can afford to pay instalments
✔ You are up to date with other tax obligations (e.g., PAYE, VAT)

Gather Your Information
Have ready:

📌 Your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
📌 National Insurance Number
📌 Details of your income and expenditure
📌 How much you owe and how much you can afford to pay weekly/monthly

Contact HMRC to Request a Plan
➤ Online: Visit the official guidance here — https://www.gov.uk/difficulties-paying-hmrc

This includes a secure way to set up your payment plan if eligible.

➤ Phone: Call HMRC Self-Assessment Helpline on 📞 0300 200 3300

(Lines are open Mon–Fri; check times on the gov.uk page)

Agree on a Payment Plan

HMRC will work with you to agree a manageable schedule. Make sure the amounts are realistic — missing payments could cancel the arrangement.

Keep Up With Your Plan

Once agreed, ensure you stick to the instalments and keep on top of future tax obligations.

There will still be interest charged on amount owing to HMRC, however putting a plan in place and sticking to it will prevent any penalties being due

💡 Top Tip: Setting up a Time to Pay arrangement before missing a deadline can reduce stress and costs — HMRC is often more flexible when contacted early.

If you’d like help walking through eligibility or preparing figures we’re here to help. 🙌
📩 Send us a message today!

31/12/2025

Happy New Years!

01/12/2025

26/11/2025

With the 2025 Budget now announced by the government, there are a number of changes that taxpayers — individuals and business owners alike — should be aware of. Here are the highlights and what they could mean for you 👇

If you’d like to chat about what these changes mean for you personally, feel free to get in contact 📞 — we’re always happy to help