Help!

KEY POINTS

• HMRC help is the main source of support.
• Users do not expect tax technical help from software providers.
• Extra technical help is sometimes provided at extra cost.

It’s tax return season again. Paper returns have to be submitted by 31 October a few exceptions aside but the deadline for returns filed online remains at 31 January.

Given that most returns are now filed electronically that means that many of us have just over three months in which to get the returns done.

Many taxpayers’ affairs are straightforward. It is just a case of digging out the relevant papers and entering the relevant data into the boxes on the online form.

Any problems can usually be sorted out by a quick look at the HMRC-provided help notes that accompany the return. Failing that the non-represented taxpayer can...