If you employ people then your 2011/2012 Employer Annual Return, forms P35 and P14, are due to be submitted online to HM Revenue & Customs by May 19.
There are two traps to watch out for this year.
Trap one
The long-standing concession, which meant that no penalty was charged for a late form provided it was received by May 26, no longer applies. If your return is even a day late you will receive a minimum penalty of £100.
Trap Two
Watch out for false notifications. Some employers failed to spot the difference between the test online submission of a P35 and the actual one because the on-screen readouts are almost identical.
This received a lot of coverage last year when employers thought they’d filed on time and only found out they hadn’t when £400 penalty notices turned up in September!
Following criticism at Tax Tribunal, HM Revenue & Customs has warned employers to double check a live submission has been made.
