Can you change your Self Assessment return after submission?

What if you have diligently submitted your tax return and then realise that there is a glaring – or less obvious – error? The good news is you can amend your return if you need to. But how? Well, that depends on how you initially filed your return.

For Online Submissions

If you have submitted your return online and wish to make changes, you must wait three days before doing so. You can then log into your online tax account and refile with the amendments.

Any changes to the tax amount owed will be calculated and should show on your account within three days of the resubmission.

For Paper Submissions

If you filed your tax return in writing, you should first download the SA100 form, or request it from HMRC. You should fill in the pages that you need to change, writing ‘amendment’ on each page together with your Unique Taxpayer Reference. Then send these pages to the HMRC address that you sent the originals to.

HMRC will send you an updated bill with details of any money owed to you or by you.

Why might you need to change it?

There are a number of reasons you may need to change your submission. You may have forgotten to include something important such as untaxed income, forgotten to change the address if you have moved, spelt something wrong, spotted a calculation error, or forgotten to claim overpayment relief.

Evesham Accountants

If you feel that you could benefit from professional help when it comes to your finances, there are a number of specialists in the Evesham area such as randall-payne.co.uk/services/accountancy/evesham-accountants/ who can offer various services.

For Amendments to Older Tax Returns

If you wish to amend a return that was filed more than 12 months ago, you will need to write to HMRC, no matter which method you used to file it. In your letter, you must include the tax year you’re correcting, the reason you think you have underpaid or overpaid, the amount in question, and your signature.