Jim Harra, HMRC chief executive, said he wants people to still file the return on time “so we can calculate their tax bill and help them if they can't pay it straight away”, but accepted it may not be possible.

He added: “We recognise the immense pressure that many people are facing in these unprecedented times and it has become increasingly clear that some people will not be able to file their return by 31 January.

"Not charging late filing penalties for late online tax returns submitted in February will give them the breathing space they need to complete and file their returns, without worrying about receiving a penalty.

"We can reasonably assume most of these people will have a valid reason for filing late, caused by the pandemic.”

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