General · 18 August 2026

HMRC overturns more than 48,000 automatic tax return fines after appeals

HM Revenue and Customs scrapped 65% of the penalties that people challenged in the 2025-26 financial year. Experts say the digital setup sends out penalty notices without human checks, catching out people who no longer even need to file a return. The success rate has soared since 2020-21, when only 5,499 people managed to beat the standard £100 late charge.

✓ Verified against the source · 60 words · 40 sec