We all know that person. The one who somehow submits their Self Assessment in April, smugly sipping their tea while the rest of us are swearing at receipts on the kitchen table at 11pm in January.
For years, I wasn’t that person. In fact, if there was an Olympic event for procrastinating tax returns, I’d be a gold medallist.
But after one too many late-night panics and a very tense call with HMRC a couple of years ago, I finally changed how I deal with my tax stuff — and I honestly wish I’d done it sooner.
So if you’re still putting it off, here’s a bit of real talk about what it’s actually like to file Self Assessment Tax Return forms at the last minute… and why it’s 100% not worth it.
The January Chaos Is Entirely Self-Inflicted
I used to tell myself I worked better under pressure. That I’d “get it all done in a couple of hours.” Spoiler: I didn’t.
Every January, the same routine played out — rummaging through old email inboxes to find invoices, guessing mileage claims, realising I’d forgotten to save half the receipts, and desperately trying to log into my HMRC account after forgetting my password.
And then came the worst part: the number. That nasty little tax bill that I hadn’t budgeted for properly, because I didn’t want to look too early.
Every year, I promised myself I’d do it earlier next time. And every year, I didn’t.
Until I finally got hit with a late filing penalty — not because I didn’t have the money, but because I was too disorganised to get the damn thing submitted on time.
What Changed (And Why I Don’t Dread It Anymore)
Last year, I bit the bullet and filed in October. And it was… kind of a dream?
I had time to check things over properly. I actually found a couple of expenses I’d missed the year before. And best of all, I knew exactly what I owed months in advance, so I could plan for it instead of playing catch-up after Christmas.
When you file Self Assessment Tax Return forms early, you don’t have to pay any earlier — but you get peace of mind way earlier. And honestly, that peace is priceless.
One Last Thing
I’m not saying doing your taxes will ever be fun. But doing them last-minute? It’s an avoidable nightmare. You deserve better.
So take it from someone who’s been through the stress, the swearing, and the spreadsheet meltdowns — the best time to get your tax sorted is when it’s still someone else’s problem. Don’t wait till it becomes yours in a big, shouty way.
Next year’s You will genuinely thank this year’s You.