1,773 happy returns at Christmas..and a New Year Resolution

If you haven't already done so, a valuable New Year Resolution will be to send your 2013/14 tax return to HM Revenue and Customs...and pay any tax owed...by January 31.

All outstanding 2013/14 tax returns must now be submitted online, as the October paper-filing deadline has passed. To send an online tax return, you must be registered for HMRC Online Services. This also involves HMRC sending you an Activation Code in the post for first-time online filers, so it is advisable to allow 10 days for it to arrive.

However nearly 2,000 people, tax forms and turkey seemed an unlikely combination as HMRC received 1,773 online tax returns on Christmas Day – a 13 per cent increase on last year's total of 1,566.

HMRC's Christmas data logs reveal the busiest time for online returns on 25 December was between midday and 1pm, when 148 Yuletide returns were delivered electronically.

Christmas Eve, traditionally a much busier day for festive filing than the big day itself, saw 17,644 online returns successfully submitted. This was up four per cent on the 17,000 received on 24 December 2013.

Another 4,811 online returns ticked all the boxes on Boxing Day – a 7 per cent increase on the 4,493 received last year.

HMRC Director General of Personal Tax, Ruth Owen, said: "You can file your online return at any time of day or night. But don't leave it too late. Give yourself plenty of time to resolve any problems and if you need to call us, do it now, as our phone lines get much busier as the 31 January deadline approaches."

For missing the January 31 deadline, there is an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time.