Non-resident Company Income Tax Return (SA700) – ‘wet’ signature required

Form SA700 is used to file an income tax return for a non-resident company. 2019/20 is the last tax year in which non-resident landlord (NRL) companies with a property business in the UK need to file a form SA700 under the income tax regime. (As of 6 April 2020, NRL companies with a UK property business are subject to UK corporation tax and will file form CT600 annually.) The SA700 is a paper form. It cannot be completed online.

In view of the practical difficulties in obtaining an original ‘wet’ or physical signature for the SA700 for the 2019/20 return during COVID-19, we have asked HMRC if a scanned copy of the signature or an e-signature would be accepted as a valid signature.

HMRC have confirmed to us that the SA700 must be signed with a physical signature. Accordingly, an electronic or scanned copy of a signature is not valid for the SA700 return. 

In relation to late filing penalties, please see our earlier post of 23 December 2020 31 January Self-Assessment deadline and filing penalties for HMRC’s letter (Jim Harra) to the representative bodies confirming that:

• HMRC do not currently plan to waive late filing penalties.
• No-one will have to pay a penalty if they cannot file on time because of the impact of COVID-19.
• HMRC will accept pandemic-related personal or business disruption as a reasonable excuse, as well as pandemic-related delay on the part of an agent.
• HMRC are extending the penalty appeal period by three months.