Online Self Assessment deadline 31 January

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Self Assessment busy-season playbook

Spread the work from April instead of piling it into January. A month-by-month plan for practices, with the HMRC dates that drive it and where each job happens in the desk.

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  • Month by month
  • Partnerships first
  • Approvals before Christmas
  • Capacity planning
10 monthsof runway from 6 April
5 Octregistration date for new clients
30 Decto code out balances under £3,000
31 Janonline filing and payment

In short

Ask for records in April, file simple returns over the summer, finish partnership returns early so partners have their shares, review and send approvals in November and December, and keep January for the last few. The dates behind the plan: 5 October to register, 30 December to have small balances collected through PAYE, 31 January to file online and pay, and 31 July for the second payment on account.

This page covers

  • A month-by-month plan for a practice
  • Capacity and internal deadlines
  • Where each job sits in the desk

Month by month

The Self Assessment year for a practice

  1. April – May

    Open the year, ask for records

    5 Apr tax year ends31 May P60s

    • Start the new return for each client as soon as the year closes.
    • Send the records request and set your own deadline for replies.
    • Upload P60 PDFs as clients forward them.

    In the appStart a return · Upload P60 PDF

  2. June – July

    Bank the easy returns

    6 Jul P11Ds31 Jul second payment

    • File PAYE-plus-property and simple sole trader returns while it is quiet.
    • Add benefits to the employment pages once P11Ds arrive.
    • Remind clients of the second payment on account.

    In the appEmail client for approval

  3. August – September

    Partnerships before partners

    • Finish each SA800 and partnership statement first.
    • Send share letters, or copy shares to SA104 for partners who are your clients.
    • Chase records still missing from spring.

    In the appAllocate to partners · Share letter

  4. October

    Registrations and a reality check

    5 Oct register31 Oct paper returns

    • Make sure newly self-employed clients have registered.
    • Count the returns still without records and contact each client.
    • Decide which late-record clients pay a rush fee.

    In the appMy Returns

  5. November – December

    Review and approve

    30 Dec PAYE coding

    • Reviewers clear ready checks and compare each calculation with last year.
    • Send approval emails in batches; clients answer faster before Christmas.
    • File by 30 December for clients who want a small balance coded out.

    In the appReady checks · Email client for approval

  6. January

    File and pay

    31 Jan file and pay

    • File every day rather than in one batch on the last day.
    • Send payment notes with amounts and the UTR payment reference.
    • Fix and resend any rejection the same day.

    In the appFile with HMRC · Tax payment

  7. February onwards

    Late returns and lessons

    • Late returns get an automatic penalty, with more after three months.
    • Amendments are possible for 12 months after the filing deadline.
    • Review what slowed the team and move next year’s internal dates.

    In the appStart amendment

Capacity

A capacity plan for 200 clients

An example split. Adjust the shares to your own client mix; the point is to finish most returns before December.

PeriodShare of returnsReturnsPer working week
April – July25%50About 3
August – October30%60About 5
November – December30%60About 7
January15%30About 7

Worked example only. Your own figures depend on client mix and team size.

Every morning

Run the season from status

01 Habit 1 of 2

Start each day from My Returns

Every return shows Draft, In review, Approved, Submitted, Accepted or Rejected. Sort the list each morning and work from the bottom of the pipeline up: rejections first, then approvals, then reviews.

Clearing late-stage work first gets money and filings in, and stops returns sitting finished but unsent.

In the appMy Returns

02 Habit 2 of 2

Give every client one owner

A named preparer per client means nothing waits for “someone”. Reviewers then work a queue of returns already marked In review.

Use team roles so preparers cannot file and reviewers cannot change the client list.

In the appTeam

Habits

Habits that keep January calm

Set your own records deadline

Ask for everything by 31 October. Anything later is a rush job or filed last.

Price the rush

A published late-records fee changes behaviour more than reminders do.

Approvals before Christmas

Clients reply faster in December than in the last week of January.

Same-day rejections

A rejected return has not been received. Fix and resend on the day.

FAQs

Common questions

When should a practice start Self Assessment work?

In April, as soon as the tax year ends on 5 April. Send records requests then and file simple returns over the summer.

Why should partnership returns be finished first?

Each partner needs their share from the partnership statement to complete SA104 on their own return.

What is the 30 December Self Assessment date?

If an online return is filed by 30 December, HMRC can collect a balance under £3,000 through the client’s PAYE tax code, if they have one.

How many returns should be done before January?

As many as possible. A common target is 80 to 85 per cent filed by the end of December, leaving January for late records.

Keep going

Client email templatesThe emails that go with each month. Practice workflowThe steps behind each return. What is an SA800?Why partnership returns come first. Team & client accessGive every client one owner.

Prepare free

Plan the season. Prepare free. Pay when you file.

Start this year’s returns now and use a credit only when each one is filed.

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