The income tax deadline for self-assessed taxpayers who file their 2020 Form 11 and make payments through ROS is this Wednesday, 17 November 2021. Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe T.D., confirmed in the Dáil last week that an extension to the deadline was not envisaged, but the situation was being kept under review. Accountants under extreme deadline pressure can contact Revenue through MyEnquiries to seek to arrange for the filing of tax returns after the deadline.
Minister Donohoe noted that accountancy firms unable to meet the deadline due to delays caused by COVID-19 should notify Revenue through My Enquiries, setting out the exceptional reasons for the delay the details of the taxpayers involved and confirm the timeline by which the returns will be filed.
As previously published in Tax News, agents should notify Revenue via MyEnquiries (Select “Collector General’s” and More Specifically “General Query”) outlining the exceptional difficulties they are experiencing and include the list of clients affected and their PPSNs on a Microsoft excel document. Revenue will reply to the notification and accept the request for the non-application of late filing surcharges or decline the request. Surcharges will not be suspended where the tax agent/taxpayer has a record of filing tax returns late.
Where there are difficulties in obtaining information to complete returns, Revenue have confirmed that returns should be filed on a “best estimates” basis and then for accountants to seek to finalise the return under the self-correction mechanism when the information becomes available.