Steel yourself to send in tax return forms

TS Eliot reckoned that April is the cruellest month, but I must beg to differ. January has got to be right up there in the cruelty stakes: the party season is over, the memories of Christmas are fading fast and the ferocious weather is fully upon us.

If all that isn't enough, the self-assessment tax return deadline is hanging over us like the sword of Damocles.

Of the estimated nine million people who have to fill in tax return forms, around four million have yet to do so. Many will be procrastinating, suddenly finding that those DIY jobs that have been niggling away simply cannot wait any longer.

My advice is simple. Don't put off filling in the tax return form any longer. It's arduous, time-consuming and, frankly, boring, but if you fail to get your forms in by January 31 you face an immediate £100 fine.

Last year nearly 890,000 forms were received late, meaning a total of around £88 million in fines, and that number is expected to rise this year.

Worse still, the longer you put it off, the worse the fines will be.

If you still haven't completed the forms by July you will automatically incur another £100 penalty, and those who persistently fail to pass on their details to the taxman can be fined up to £60 a day.

And of course, there is the 5 per cent interest payment on any tax outstanding for more than 28 days.

Burying your head in the sand can be an expensive business.

So for those who failed to keep up their New Year resolution to be more organised, what can be done to make filling out the forms less painful?

The most important thing is to gather all the information you need to fill in the forms before you start.

Make sure you have your P60 form if you are employed, along with your P11D benefit form if it applies to you. If you are self-employed, make sure you have all your accounts information.

Either way, you will need any share dividend vouchers and interest certificates from banks and building societies.

Make use of the help sheets that are provided with the forms, as they are a useful way to guide you through the maze, and check out the Inland Revenue website for further advice (www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk).

Once you have completed the form, take another look to make sure that all parts have been filled in correctly.

Think back to your form from last year to make sure you haven't missed anything, and think back over the past tax year to consider whether anything new has happened that needs adding.

If you are owed money by the Inland Revenue, consider filling in the form electronically.

It is the speediest way to receive a rebate, otherwise your paper- work can get stuck in a mountain of admin.

Finally, seek expert advice. If you really can't face the thought of filling in the form - then treat yourself, and get somebody to do it for you. At least that way there is one less thing to worry about in January.