Every January, the UK’s most chaotic tradition unfolds. Not Dry January, but the late-night, wine-fuelled panic to submit Self Assessment Tax Returns. For some, it's an annual ritual of existential dread, powered by lost receipts, forgotten income, and a blind hope that HMRC isn’t paying attention this year.

But here’s a radical idea. What if you didn’t leave it until the eleventh hour? What if filing your tax return didn’t feel like an emotional breakdown?

You Are Not Special. HMRC Doesn’t Care.

Let’s set the record straight. HMRC doesn’t care that your dog ate your invoices or that your accountant ghosted you. If you miss the deadline, the penalty hits you automatically. No drama, no nuance, no appeal unless your internet was literally on fire.

And it gets worse: daily fines, interest, and even more penalties if you still haven’t sorted yourself out after three months. Suddenly, your “creative chaos” isn’t so charming.

Filing Early Is the New Cool

If you’re the kind of person who brags about how you still haven’t filed, thinking it makes you mysterious and spontaneous, sorry to break it to you, but it just makes you a tax liability. The smart move is to file early, and here’s why:

You Stay Sane: No scrambling. No surprises.
You Get Paid Quicker: HMRC owes you a refund? File now, get it now.
You Control the Timeline: Even if you file in June, you don’t pay until 31 January.
You Get Proper Help: Accountants have time to help you when it’s not tax season Armageddon.

When you file Self Assessment Tax Return early, you don’t just save money, you save face.

Things People Always Mess Up

Some tax return errors are so common, they deserve their own sitcom:

Reporting crypto gains as “fun money” (HMRC disagrees)
Forgetting to include rental income from your cousin
Claiming personal Spotify as a business expense (again… no)
Using bank statements as records instead of actual invoices

DIY is Fine, Until It’s Not

If your tax affairs are basic, you can absolutely go solo. HMRC’s portal isn’t pretty, but it does the job.

But once things become more complex with multiple properties, investments, and overseas income, get help. A good accountant can save you more than they charge. They’ll also stop you from doing something wildly incorrect like misreporting CGT or forgetting your pension tax reliefs.

Conclusion

You don’t need to relive your financial chaos every January. You don’t need to cry into your bank statements. You just need to get organised before it becomes a fire drill. So, take a breath and be that rare unicorn who chooses calm over chaos.