HMRC - Time to Pay - Deadline 2 March 2024
If you have not yet paid your personal Self-Assessment tax bill, you may be able to set up a payment plan by using the HMRC Time to Pay service.
HMRC say, if you can pay on time then you should, however, if you are facing financial hardship or personal difficulties, then you may be able to set up a payment plan.
You can set up a Time to Pay plan for Self-Assessment online if you owe less than £30,000 and if other conditions are met.
What is HMRC Time to Pay?
HMRC Time to Pay is a service that you can use to pay your tax bill in instalments.
If you cannot pay your tax, you should not ignore it, as HMRC will charge you interest and penalties. Instead, you should contact HMRC to try and arrange a payment plan using their Time to Pay service.
Using Time to Pay, HMRC will still charge interest, but they will suspend late payment penalties (you will become liable to the penalty if the agreement is broken).
The arrangement will be based on your financial circumstances, so be prepared to give HMRC this information. You will usually need to complete an income and expenditure assessment, which calculates how much you can afford to pay and how much time you will need to settle the liability.
HMRC Time to Pay is reserved for those in financial difficulty, so if you really cannot pay your bill and have no other options, do not delay. If you wish to avoid late payment penalties, the deadline for setting up a Time to Pay plan is 2 March 2024.
If you do not pay your tax and you do not set up an arrangement with HMRC, they will charge additional late payment penalties.
You can set up a Time to Pay Self-Assessment plan yourself online, if you owe up to £30,000.
You can spread your payment over 12 months by Direct Debit. You will need to:
- have filed your latest tax return,
- have no other tax debts,
- have no other HMRC payment plans set up,
- set up the payment plan no later than 60 days after the deadline.
More details can be found by visiting HMRC:
You will need your Government Gateway user ID and password to set up the plan.
You may be able to use Time to Pay if you owe more than £30,000 or if you need more than 12 months to settle the debt; however, you will need to phone HMRC instead.
HMRC Time to Pay helpline
If you need to speak to HMRC to set up a plan, you can use the Self-Assessment Payment Helpline. The number is 0300 200 3820 and it is open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00.
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