Burning yachts and hungry dogs blamed for late returns

A TAX return being engulfed in a yacht fire is among the most bizarre excuses recently seen by the taxman for customers not getting in their returns on time.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said it receives unusual excuses each year for late self-assessment returns.

As well as a customer claiming their return had been left on a yacht which caught fire, HMRC also listed other unusual excuses used in unsuccessful appeals against its penalties for late returns.

They included a dog eating a tax return and all the reminders, a child scribbling on someone’s tax return, and a wasp causing a car accident which resulted in a tax return inside the car being destroyed.

The deadline for sending 2015-16 self-assessment tax returns online to HMRC, and paying any tax owed, is January 31. Penalties for late tax returns include an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay.

Ruth Owen, HMRC director general of customer services, said: “It’s easy to see some excuses for not completing a tax return on time can be more questionable than others. Luckily, only a small minority chance their arm.”