HM Revenue and Customs
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Small employers urged - file online and get a £75 bonus

Small employers urged - file online and get a £75 bonus

HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS News Release (NAT 27/09) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 24 March 2009

Small employers are being urged to file their 2008/09 Employer Annual Return online this year, and get a £75 tax-free payment in the process.

Employers with fewer than 50 employees can file on paper or online, but only those filing a valid online return will qualify for the £75 payment.

Those employers with 50 or more employees must file their 2008/09 return online, or face a penalty.

To file online, employers must first register with HMRC's "PAYE Online for Employers" service. It can take up to a week to get the Activation PIN after registering, so employers should not leave it until the last minute.

Agents, tax advisers or payroll bureaux can also file on behalf of employers. And small employers will still qualify for the £75 tax-free payment, even if an intermediary files online for them.

Employer Annual Returns are due by 19 May, or late-filing penalties will apply.

HMRC's Sue Williams said:

"We are accepting returns now, and would urge all employers to send them in as soon as they are ready, to avoid any last-minute rush."

Support and advice is available from HMRC's Employers Helpline on 08457 143 143, online at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/paye or from HMRC's Employer CD-ROM. There is also a free video podcast available to view or download from HMRC's podcast pages at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/podcasts.

Notes for editors

1. Each year, employers throughout the UK are required to inform HMRC of their employees' tax and national insurance payments for the last financial year. Employers meet this obligation by sending in a P14 for each individual employee, and a P35 summarising the details for their entire workforce.

2. Employer Annual Returns sent with no financial entries do not qualify for the £75 tax-free payment.

Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press Office
Press enquiries only please contact:
Tel: 020 7147 0798

Website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk

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