HMRC received 4,757 self-assessment tax returns on Christmas Day. This compares with 3,275 filed on the same day in 2022. The peak time for filing was between 12 noon and 1pm when 402 returns were received. A further 12,136 taxpayers submitted their returns on Boxing Day.

The figures for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were 25,593 and 23,724.

HMRC said that of the 12.2 million returns due by 31 January 2024, some 6.5 million forms have already been submitted, leaving about 5.7 million taxpayers still to file.