Taxpayers who are unable to pay their Self-Assessment (SA) bill can use the option of paying by instalments with a Time to Pay arrangement with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
If you cannot pay a Self-Assessment tax bill you can make your own Time to Pay arrangement using your Government Gateway account, if you:
- Have filed your latest tax return
- Owe less than £30,000
- Are within 60 days of the payment deadline
- Plan to pay your debt off within the next 12 months or less.
The limit for a self-serve time to pay arrangement, which was increased during the pandemic, remains at £30,000 tax due.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “We understand some customers might be worried about paying their SA bill this year, and we want to support them.”
What you will need to make a Time to Pay arrangement
- The relevant reference number for the tax you cannot pay, such as your unique tax reference number
- Your VAT registration number if you are a business
- Your bank account details
- Details of any previous payments you have missed
HMRC will ask you:
- How much you can repay each month
- If you can pay in full
- If there are other taxes you need to pay
- How much money you earn
- What you usually spend (including bills and entertainment) each month
- What savings or investments you have.
If you have savings or assets, HMRC will expect you to use these to reduce your debt as much as possible.
If you have received independent debt advice, for example from Citizens Advice, you may have a ‘Standard Financial Statement’. HMRC will accept this as evidence of what you earn and spend each month.
The amount you will be asked to pay each month is based on the money you have left after you pay any rent, food or utility bills and fixed outgoings, like subscriptions.
You will usually be asked to pay around half of what you have left over each month towards the tax you owe.
If taxpayers owe more than £30,000, or need longer to pay, they should phone the self-assessment payment helpline on 0300 200 3822 to make an arrangement.
