The Self Assessment Awards 2026

Jon Dell
Feb 5
2 min read

It’s that time of year again. Red carpets are rolled out, envelopes are sealed, and the nation gathers to celebrate outstanding achievement.

No, not the Oscars.

Welcome to The Self Assessment Awards 2026, where Britain honours the very best (and worst) performances in missing the 24/25 tax return deadline.

Best Picture: “I Thought I Had More Time”

Let’s start with the headline category.

According to HMRC figures reported by the BBC, around one million people failed to file their Self Assessment tax return by the 31 January deadline for 2024/25.

That’s one million people thinking:

“It’ll only take an hour”
“I’ll do it after dinner”
“How bad can the penalty really be?”

Spoiler alert: £100 bad. Immediately.

Meanwhile, 11.48 million people did file on time, proving it is possible, just not universally appealing.

Best Supporting Actor: The Last-Minute Filer

This award goes to those who thrive under pressure.

On deadline day alone:

Over 475,000 people filed their return
More than 27,000 submitted in the final hour
The busiest time was 5pm to 6pm, otherwise known as “panic o’clock”

HMRC even opened helplines over the weekend, because nothing says glamour like frantically explaining expenses on a Saturday afternoon.

Truly edge-of-your-seat stuff.

Best Original Screenplay: “My Login Definitely Worked Last Year”

A recurring plot twist every year.

Forgotten Government Gateway passwords. Locked accounts. Missing bank statements. A sudden realisation that “keeping receipts in a shoebox” was not, in fact, a system.

This category features strong performances from people discovering at 11.58pm that:

The HMRC website is slow under pressure
Your memory cannot be trusted
Stress makes numbers look bigger than they are

Best Costume Design: The Penalties

This is where the film turns into a horror.

If you missed the deadline, the awards keep coming:

£100 automatic penalty, even if you owe no tax
After 3 months, £10 per day up to £900
After 6 months, another £300 or 5 percent of tax due
After 12 months, another £300 or 5 percent

It’s less “glamorous gown” and more “slow financial jump scare”.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Filing Early

Now for the heroes of the story.

Filing early doesn’t make headlines, but it deserves recognition.

And crucially, filing early does not mean paying early. You still usually have until 31 January to pay what you owe.

So what do early filers win?

Outstanding Achievement in Stress Reduction

No January panic. No frozen screens. No late-night shouting at laptops.

Best Financial Planning

You know what you owe well in advance, which means time to budget, save, or set up a payment plan.

Best Visual Effects: The HMRC Refund

If HMRC owes you money, filing early means getting it back sooner. Why let them hold onto it longer than necessary?

Best Editing

Plenty of time to fix mistakes, find missing info, and actually understand what you’re submitting.

Best Overall Vibes

Peace of mind. Hot tea. No tax dread. A flawless performance.

And the Winner Is…

Missing the Self Assessment deadline is incredibly common, but it’s also expensive, stressful, and entirely avoidable.

Awards season teaches us one thing - preparation wins.

File early, avoid penalties, and enjoy January knowing your tax return won’t suddenly make a dramatic reappearance in your life.

See you next year at the awards. 🏆