Thousands of taxpayers used the Christmas break to file tax returns for 2018/19 through self-assessment.

Statistics from HMRC showed that 34,292 taxpayers submitted tax returns between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

Precisely 22,035 taxpayers filed on 24 December 2019, followed by 3,003 on Christmas Day and 9,254 on Boxing Day.

The 3,003 people submitting their papers to HMRC on Christmas Day 2019 increased 15% on the previous year, when 2,616 people filed.

The peak filing hour for submissions was between 12pm and 1pm on Boxing Day, where 946 tax returns were filed.

The number of taxpayers using Christmas Day or Boxing Day to submit their tax returns in 2019 increased from 11,061 in 2018 to 12,527 in 2019.

More than 11 million tax returns are expected to be filed before the midnight deadline for 2018/19 on 31 January 2020.

Angela MacDonald, director-general for customer services at HMRC, said:

"Whether you squeezed it in before tucking into a Christmas pudding, after the Queen's Speech, or trying to grab a bargain during the festive sales, our online service is available to file your tax return at any time you wish"

Get in touch for tax return assistance.