Tax returns Expert tips on getting self-assessment right

With the online deadline just days away, Rupert Jones asks for advice on avoiding the pitfalls and making the most of what you can claim

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There are fewer than three weeks to go before the deadline to file self-assessment tax returns for the 2023-24 tax year, but millions of people still haven't knuckled down and done theirs. This week HM Revenue & Customs said 5.4 million had yet to file. If you have been putting yours off, Guardian Money has rounded up top tips from a range of experts that will hopefully help make this annual chore a little less of a bore.

Don't assume it doesn't apply to you, says Alice Haine, a personal finance analyst at the investment platform Bestinvest. While most taxpayers do not need to file a return for 2023-24 because tax is automatically deducted from their pay, pensions or savings, there are a number of instances where people do need to do one. "For those where the tax is not automatically deducted or they earn extra untaxed income, filing a tax return is mandatory," she says.

With most personal tax thresholds frozen until 2028, more people that are paid through PAYE may find themselves forced to file a tax return this year because their total taxable income may have jumped above £150,000 - a salary threshold at which all earners must submit a tax return.

Other reasons to submit a return include being self-employed and earning more than £1,000, or if you have any other untaxed income from tips and commission, savings, investments and dividends, as well as rental or foreign income.

Don't delay, act today, says Jashoda Pindoria, the head of self-assessment operations at HMRC. She says those who haven't done so already should start their return today: "Starting now means they take the pressure off themselves and can gather all their information, and access any help and guidance they need on Gov.uk to ensure their tax return is accurate and submitted on time."