You're being charged £10 a day right now (and most UK freelancers don't know it)

If you missed the 31 January 2026 self-assessment deadline and haven't filed yet, HMRC started charging you £10 per day on 1 March. That's on top of the £100 automatic penalty you already owe. As of today, 16 March, that's 16 days of daily penalties. Your total bill is £260 and climbing. The penalty timeline When What happens Cumulative cost 1 Feb 2026 £100 automatic penalty £100 1 Mar 2026 Daily £10/day starts (up to 90 days) £100 + £10/day 31 May 2026 Daily penalties cap at £900 £1,000 1 Aug 2026 6-month: £300 or 5% of tax due £1,300+ 1 Feb 2027 12-month: another £300 or 5% £1,600+ How to stop the clock today File immediately — even with estimated figures. HMRC allows you to submit approximate numbers and amend later. An estimated return stops the clock. File first, appeal second — if you have a reasonable excuse (serious illness, bereavement, HMRC service outage), you can appeal the penalties. But file NOW to stop them accumulating. Can't pay? Filing and paying are separate obligati