HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has reported 6.9 million people filed their self-assessment tax returns online this year.
The government department said around 78% of all returns submitted were filed online by the 31 January deadline, an increase of 7% from 2010.
On the busiest day so far for online returns, 31 January, HMRC received a record 572,455 online self-assessment returns. A rush occurred between 4pm and 5pm, when 49,367 returns were filed online. More than 800 returns were filed on Christmas day. Three government agencies, including HMRC, were recently criticised over a data sharing mistake that led to the wrongful disclosure of a woman's personal and financial information.
Number of self-assessment tax returns filed online
| Day of the year | Number of self-assessment tax returns filed online |
|---|---|
| Before the 31 January 2011 deadline | 6,907,410 |
| On deadline day of 31 January 2011 | 572,455 |
| Hour before 5pm deadline on 31 January 2011 | 49,367 |
| Christmas day | 845 |
| Boxing day | 2,408 |
| New Year's Eve | 16,230 |
| New Year's Day | 5,130 |
| Between 11pm and midnight on New Year's Eve | 96 |
Source: HMRC
