According to the last statistics published by HMRC, on Christmas Day 620 people filed their self-assessment tax return online - up from 270 in 2006.

Half of those filing on Christmas Day were accountants. Now this sort of makes sense, as accountants traditionally are not the sort of people to spend time partying when there are tax returns to be filed.

This may be explained by the widely held belief that accountants lack social skills. Of course, any accountant will be the first to tell you they have a great sense of humour and usually this can be confirmed by a quick glance at the reindeer socks / sweater or the tie that plays jingle bells. Accountants typically fill their websites with testimonials saying how great they are, so it must be true.

But who else is filing their tax return on Christmas Day? Possibly it's the ultimate excuse for those looking to escape the family celebrations.

We can all feel the strain of being thrown together with extended family at Christmas - that's why you see so many normally sedentary types tramping the streets on Christmas Day and Boxing Day - “I'm going for a walk”. It seems that what most people wish for at Christmas is to be somewhere else.

So this year, let's embrace the opportunity HM Revenue & Customs are giving us. By including tax return filing in our Christmas schedule we can all have a more varied and happier Christmas day.

Here, in the true spirit of Christmas and with thanks to HM Revenue & Customs is TaxTeddy's blueprint for a Perfect Christmas Day :

05 :17 Woken by children in present frenzy
Examine Xmas stocking. Smile wanly and thank spouse. Discard present and wrapping. Hog bathroom while while spouse stuffs turkey.

07:30 Breakfast with the family
Wish kids Happy Xmas. Remove kids' iPod earphones and wish them Happy Xmas.

09:00 Church
Pray for father-in-law's car to break down, leaving in-laws stranded in snowbound Kent. Remove kids' iPod earphones.

11:16 At A Loose End
Finish tidying shed. Go for a walk while spouse peels sprouts. Find a use for the hip flask bought for you last year. Spouse busy straightening Xmas decorations before guests arrive.

12:55 Guests Arrive
Greet in-laws. Laugh at father-in-law's jokes (see last year).

13:30 Lunch
Sit down to lunch with family. Remove kids' iPod earphones. Have heated argument with spouse in kitchen -- but under your breath, so as not to alert guests. Laugh at father in law's jokes (see 12:55).

14:30 Post-Lunch Fatigue
Plan afternoon with guests to accommodate Queen's Speech / Indiana Jones movie / playing charades / arguing.

14:34 Important Announcement
Make excuses to file tax return as 'it's very important'. Re-fill hip flask.

21:30 Respite
Kids bedtime. Break up fight and put kids to bed. Sweep up broken Xmas presents.

22:45 Guests Leave
Wave goodbye to guests. Discard gifts from in-laws.

22:48 Post Mortem
Agree with spouse, it was stressful but, hey, that's family.

22:50 Relaxation
Settle down with spouse. Mention tax bill has gone up.

Happy Christmas

TaxTeddy is a director of a small tax consultancy and he has created a blog to share his insights into UK tax law and practice. By cutting out the jargon TaxTeddy hopes to give his readers a better understanding of what is happening in tax administration in the UK, and sometimes other countries too.