October tax deadline just days away

Anyone sending in their 2009/10 Self Assessment return on paper has just a few days left to file their return by the 31 October paper-filing deadline.

If you miss the deadline it cost be costly, as paper returns filed after this date could mean a £100 penalty.

An alternative to paper-filing is to file your return online instead. It's simple to do - three quarters of Self Assessment filers already do it - and you get three months longer to file.

Online filing has other advantages too: your tax is calculated automatically; you get an immediate online acknowledgement once you've filed; and it's processed faster, so any money you're owed is repaid more quickly.

Registering for online filing is simple - visit the HMRC website at hmrc.gov.uk/online and click "Register (new users)".

Help and advice is available from the HMRC website at hmrc.gov.uk/sa or from the Self Assessment helpline on 0845 9000 444.