The taxman says three and a half million people are due a refund, but two million will have to fork out for underpaid tax.
Petrol key to 'surprise' recovery

Britons' bank balances were boosted by a fall in petrol prices, according to a survey
Lower petrol prices helped to fuel a "surprise" recovery in the nation's savings this summer, with balances reaching their highest in two years, a study has revealed.
The typical balance for ordinary Britons rose by 9.8%, or £182, in the second quarter of this year to reach £2,040, marking the third quarterly increase in a row, said the ING Direct consumer savings monitor.
But typical unsecured debts, including personal loans, overdrafts and credit cards, also crept up over the quarter, increasing by 3.8%, or £86, to reach £2,328, the highest figure since last autumn.
The study said that falls in fuel prices had been a key factor in enabling people to put more cash away in accessible savings, saving the average motorist around £93 across the quarter.
From April to June, the average price of a litre of unleaded fuel fell by 7% from £1.40 to £1.31.
Households have come under intense pressure from high living costs and high unemployment and many recent surveys have suggested people are dipping into their savings, many of which are giving poor returns, rather than taking out new loans amid the mood of economic uncertainty.
But there have been recent signs of a slight improvement in tight household budgets as inflation has eased.
Richard Doe, chief executive of ING Direct, said of the savings figures: "This marks a two-year high and represents the longest sustained rise in savings since we began tracking at the beginning of 2009. Given other gloomy economic news, it is also something of a surprise."
Researchers said that payment protection insurance payouts were also continuing to boost people's balance sheets, with two million people expected to receive average compensation of £2,600 this year, of which people plan to place around a third into savings.
The study - which quizzed 1,300 people - also found the eurozone crisis had led to people being more cautious with their budgets, with 15% of people surveyed saying they had saved more because of the problems in Europe and three in 10 saying they had been more careful about their spending.
related stories on msn
latest money videos
more on msn money


Fed up with low savings rates and high borrowing rates? As Dave Fishwick and his Bank of Dave has demonstrated, there are other options out there.

US couple have found an innovative solution to the problem of sky-high house prices.

The two banks have now joined the Post Office's banking network, meaning customers can make withdrawals and deposits at branches around the UK.

Get 5p off per litre of fuel at Shell, broadband from £2 a month and more in our latest discount and freebie round-up.

Lifestyling is supposed to mean that your pension pot becomes more secure the nearer you get to retirement. Yet your pension provider might be switching you to overpriced and therefore riskier investments.

If you want to borrow a larger sum of money and repay it over time, a conventional personal loan is not always your best option.

Look out for these warning signs when house-hunting

Analysts at Barclays calculate Co-op – whose debt has been downgraded to junk – could need £1.8bn in worst case scenario

Government measures responsible for pickup in demand that has yet to be matched by increase in supply, says Rics

Majority of Brits feel no more optimistic about their finances despite economic revival
![Travellers often face hefty fees while abroad [Image © PA] Image © PA Travellers often face hefty fees while abroad [Image © PA] Image © PA](http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/22/63AFC34E4B2C59772D8A39F7E616DB_h85_w116_m4.jpg)
The two banks charge the highest fees for withdrawing money overseas using their debit cards.



