A simpler tax return is being sent by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to most of the 9.3 million self-assessment tax payers.

The forms, for the 2007-08 tax year, also have new deadlines for completion.

Paper forms will need to be submitted by 31 October 2008, while people who file online will have a later deadline of 31 January 2009.

The Revenue said the new form "has fewer questions, simpler language and an improved layout".

The new forms have been designed after a two-year pilot involving 7,000 self-assessment tax payers.

This is the first major revamp since the previous version was introduced in 1997, although a short version was introduced in 2005 for taxpayers with particularly simple affairs.