With just one week left until self-assessment tax return deadline day, people confess they’d rather undergo a trip to the dentist’s chair than fill out their tax forms
Unbelievably, there is something people dread more than a trip to the dentist's office, and you don't even get a sticker and a lollipop for good behaviour afterwards.
According to a survey by Which?, 38 per cent of people loathe completing their tax return more than they do going to the dentist.
Other tasks people would prefer to tackle than their yearly paperwork from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) include changing a dirty nappy (50 per cent), unblocking a drain (35 per cent) and cleaning a mucky oven (34 per cent).
Of course, it helps that dentist appointments are usually over and done with relatively quickly. On the other hand, 75 per cent of the people surveyed by Which? said that completing their tax return took them up three hours, while 10 per cent said the process took them even longer than that.
Read more: Thousands of self-employed facing fines for late tax returns
And, after all that effort, 12 per cent said they still didn't feel confident that their tax calculation was correct.
"People understandably find the prospect of grappling with lengthy, complex forms with confusing jargon really off-putting, and some delay completing their tax return despite the penalties," remarked Harry Rose, Which? money editor.
However, there are some people out there who seem to relish logging onto HMRC to get their taxes sorted out. Last month, 2,044 people filed their tax return on Christmas Day, while a further 24,546 decided to finish off their return on New Year's Eve.