Women are more likely than men to send in their tax return on time, a HM Revenue& Customs analysis has revealed.
For every 10,000 tax returns received last year by HMRC from men, 394 were after 31st January. This compares to 358 late returns for every 10,000 received from women.
As well as a gender gap, HMRC’s analysis showed a significant difference in filing behaviour between age ranges. People aged 18 to 20 were the worst offenders, with 1,085 in every 10,000 filing late. At the other end of the scale, those aged 65 or over were the most punctual, with only 155 out of every 10,000 missing the deadline. HMRC’s analysis found that the older you are, the more likely you are to send in your tax return on time.
In terms of differences between workers in different industries, those in the agriculture, fishing and forestry industry are the star performers, with just 109 in every 10,000 filing late returns. Lawyers and accountants came second (219 late filers per 10,000), with health and social workers (262 per 10,000) in third place. Workers in the information and communication industries fared the worst (390 per 10,000), with administrative and support services not far behind (388 per 10,000) and the construction industry the next worst performing sector (352 per 10,000).
Across the United Kingdom, taxpayers in Northern Ireland were the most punctual (301 per 10,000), followed by those in Wales (346 per 10,000), England (374 per 10,000) and Scotland (391 per 10,000). The figure for the United Kingdom as a whole was 372 late filers per 10,000.
Within the English regions, South West taxpayers were the least likely to miss the deadline (299 per 10,000), but by far the worst-performing region was London (512 per 10,000).
“if you haven’t sent in your 2013-14 tax return, you need to take action now.”
HMRC Director General of Personal Tax, Ruth Owen, said: “Whatever your gender, age, occupation or location, if you haven’t sent in your 2013-14 tax return, you need to take action now.
HMRC released the information in its yearly bid to ensure everyone files on time. The department is turning to social media in an attempt to get the message across to those still yet to file, via both its Facebook page and Twitter account.
If you’d like to see the full analyses, please scroll down
1. The full adult age analysis for late filers per 10,000 returns is as follows:
Age Group | Per 10,000 |
18-20 | 1085 |
21-30 | 736 |
31-40 | 575 |
41-50 | 444 |
51-60 | 299 |
61-64 | 192 |
65+ | 155 |
2. The full UK and English regional analysis for late filers per 10,000 returns is as follows:
Region | Per 10,000 |
Scotland | 391 |
England | 374 |
Wales | 346 |
Northern Ireland | 301 |
London | 512 |
North East | 380 |
North West | 369 |
South East | 355 |
East of England | 346 |
West Midlands | 344 |
Yorkshire & Humber | 337 |
East Midlands | 324 |
South West | 299 |
3. The full industry analysis for late filers per 10,000 returns is as follows:
Industry | Per 10,000 |
Information & Communication | 390 |
Administrative & Support Services | 388 |
Construction | 352 |
Transportation & Storage | 347 |
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 329 |
Other Professional, Scientific and Technical | 322 |
Education | 317 |
Manufacturing | 313 |
Wholesale and Retail Trade (inc Repair of Motor Vehicles/Motorcycles)309 | |
Accommodation & Food Services | 300 |
Financial, Insurance & Real Estate | 286 |
Human Health and Social Work | 262 |
Legal & Accounting | 219 |
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | 109 |
Facebook page , or follow the HMRC Press Office on Twitter @HMRCpressoffice and if you prefer Flickr, HMRC’s Flickr channel is www.flickr.com/hmrc.gov.ukFor your information, HMRC offers simple tips and advice on filling out tax returns on its Self-AssessmentAs a result of the above I decided to look at my close friends and relatives and I’m pleased to say that all of them, save one, have already submitted their Tax Returns. It won’t surprise you to hear that the one miscreant, is young, male and in the industry sector most likely to be late. I just hope he doesn’t get too upset when he receives his £100 fine!