They counted them all out but they haven't counted them all back.

In fact at the last count there were 4,600 people who had not submitted their self assessment tax figures to the York Inland Revenue office in Piccadilly, York.

All of them risk paying a £100 penalty plus interest if they fail to meet the deadline of next Monday, January 31, to submit that 1998/99 tax return and the taxman's advice to them is: "Get cracking."

Of 16,856 forms issued in the York 1 area, the Inland Revenue has received just 12,256. Faring even worse is the Harrogate area, where of 16,993 issued only 11,526 have been received - a shortfall of 5,467.

All had failed to meet the deadline on September 30 last year for having the Inland Revenue calculate their tax bill for them and now face the process of calculating their own liability.

Last year more than 800,000 taxpayers failed to submit returns by the deadline and one calculation is that it netted the Government as much as £7 million in automatic penalties, in spite of a huge advertising programme featuring the cute cartoon taxman, Hector.

Next Monday is also the final date for paying the balance of any instalments you are making on account. Failure to meet the deadline results in interest charged at 7.5 per cent.

It is also the final date for making the first payment on account for the 99/00 tax year. Don't pay that and expect to be charged at the same 7.5 per cent rate.

A spokesman for the Inland Revenue said: "If by February 28, 2000 the balance in payment for 98/99 is still not paid expect a five per cent surcharge on outstanding debt."

The tax returns for 99/2000 will be issued from April 6, 2000 and the next date for your diary is July 31. The tax office spokesman warns: "If your tax return for 98/99 is still outstanding then a further £100 penalty will be levied - and if any balancing payment from 98/99 is still outstanding, there will be yet another five per cent surcharge."

July 31 is also the final date for paying second payment on account for 99/2000. If it isn't paid by that date interest will be charged.

It is similar to last year but no less urgent for that. Get cracking.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.