Tax Information

Deadlines for sending in your tax return Individuals and Trusts

31^st October: paper returns

If you send a paper tax return it must reach HMRC by midnight on 31^st October. So for the tax year ending on 5th April the deadline for paper returns is midnight on 31^st October. There are very few exceptions. As an example, the deadline may be later if HMRC send you the letter, telling you to complete a tax return, after 31^st July. In this case the letter will tell you the deadline – it is usually three months from the date of the letter. Or if you’re sending a Self Assessment return for a registered pension scheme or non-resident company, you can only send paper returns so the deadline isn’t until 31^st January.

31^st January: online returns

Your online tax return must reach HMRC by midnight on 31^st January. So for the 5th April 2017 tax year, the deadline for online returns is midnight on 31^st January 2018. There are very few exceptions. As an example, the deadline may be later if HMRC sends you the letter, telling you to complete a tax return, after 31^st October. In this case the letter will tell you the deadline – it is usually three months from the date of the letter. There’s also an earlier deadline of 30 December if you want HMRC to collect any tax you owe through your tax code. You can ask for this if you owe less than £3,000. Please show this clearly on your tax return. HMRC will try to collect the tax due through your code, but they can’t always do so.

Companies

The filing date for CTSA APs is defined in Para 14 Schedule 18 FA 1998. The filing date for CTPF APs is defined under Section 11(4) and (5) TMA 1970.

The statutory filing date under Para 14 Schedule 18 FA 1998 is the last day of whichever of the following periods is the last to end:

Twelve months from the end of the period for which the return is made
If the company’s relevant period of account is not longer than 18 months, twelve months from the end of that period
If the company’s relevant period of account is longer than 18 months, 30 months from the beginning of that period
Three months from the date on which the notice requiring the return was served

Note: In this context ‘relevant period of account’ means the period of account of the company in which the last day of that accounting period falls. ‘Period of account’ means a period for which the company makes up accounts.

Deadlines for payment of tax Individuals and Trusts

HMRC need POAs from most customers that were included in the SA system for the previous tax year. When POAs are needed for any tax year, they are payable on the legal due dates. POA1 by 31^st January of that tax year. POA2 by the 31^st July that falls directly after the tax year. Any further tax is due as a final Balancing Charge and is payable by the next 31^st January following the relevant tax year.

Companies

Payment deadlines if your company or organisation’s taxable profits are £1.5 million or less

If your company or organisation has taxable profits of up to £1.5 million, you must pay your Corporation Tax by the normal due date, which is nine months and one day after the end of your Corporation Tax accounting period. For example, if your company’s accounting period ends on 31^st May, your Corporation Tax payment is due on or before 1 March the following year.

Payment deadlines if your company or organisation’s taxable profits are more than £1.5 million

If your company’s profits for an accounting period are at an annual rate of more than £1.5 million, you must normally pay your Corporation Tax for that period in instalments.

Payment deadlines for groups of companies

If you operate a group of companies, you can nominate one of them to pay Corporation Tax on behalf of all of them.

Employers (PAYE)

	Electronic Payment	Other payments
Employers tax and Class 1 NIC (1)	17 days after the tax month end	14 days after the tax month end
Class 1A NIC	22 July following the tax year end	19 July following the tax year end
PAYE Settlement and Class 1B	22 October following the tax year end	19 October following the tax year end

(1) ‘tax month’ ends of the 5th of each month

PAYE/NICs/Class 1A/PSA - meeting the payment deadlines

If you pay electronically

The tables below provide guidance to help you decide when to initiate your PAYE/NICs/Class 1A NIC/PSA payments in order to avoid missing the deadlines. However, please note:

The tables below are only a guide and have not been adjusted for specific months in the year
Where the 22nd falls on a weekend or bank holiday, you must ensure that your payment arrives no later than the last bank working day before the 22nd, unless you make a Faster Payment. Bank working days are Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
It is important that you check with your bank/building society well in advance of making a payment to check single transaction, daily value limits and cut off times for processing payments to avoid your payment to HMRC being delayed.

22nd falls on a	HMRC must have cleared funds by	Last day for setting up a new Direct Debit Instruction (DDI) and payment	Last day for setting up a Direct Debit payment if using an existing DDI
Initiating payments by Direct Debit
Monday	Monday 22nd	Monday 15th	Wednesday 17th
Tuesday	Tuesday 22nd	Tuesday 15th	Thursday 17th
Wednesday	Wednesday 22nd	Wednesday 15th	Friday 17th
Thursday	Thursday 22nd	Thursday 15th	Monday 19th
Friday	Friday 22nd	Sunday 17th	Tuesday 19th
Saturday	Friday 21st	Sunday 16th	Tuesday 18th
Sunday	Friday 20th	Sunday 15th	Tuesday 17th

22nd falls on a	HMRC must have cleared funds by	Last day for initiating payment by *
Initiating internet and telephone banking payments within the Faster Payments limits
Monday	Monday 22nd	Monday 22nd
Tuesday	Tuesday 22nd	Tuesday 22nd
Wednesday	Wednesday 22nd	Wednesday 22nd
Thursday	Thursday 22nd	Thursday 22nd
Friday	Friday 22nd	Friday 22nd
Saturday	Saturday 22nd	Saturday 22nd
Sunday	Sunday 22nd	Sunday 22nd

Faster Payment Service is a service that has been introduced by the banking industry that allows payments by internet or telephone banking to be received on the same day, provided the value of the payment does not exceed the limit set by your own bank or building society. Faster Payment Service does not operate on 25 December or 1 January. * Before making a payment using Faster Payment Service you should contact your bank or building society to confirm the services available to you, any daily value limits and latest cut off times for sending a payment.

22nd falls on a	HMRC must have cleared funds by *	Last day for initiating payment by *
Initiating payments by Bacs Direct Credit, internet or telephone banking *, debit or credit card over the internet, Bank Giro or at a Post Office
Monday	Monday 22nd	Thursday 18th
Tuesday	Tuesday 22nd	Friday 18th
Wednesday	Wednesday 22nd	Monday 20th
Thursday	Thursday 22nd	Tuesday 20th
Friday	Friday 22nd	Wednesday 20th
Saturday	Friday 21st	Wednesday 19th
Sunday	Friday 21st	Wednesday 18th

* Assumes payment does not use the Faster Payment Service

22nd falls on a	HMRC must have cleared funds by	Last day for initiating payment by
Initiating payments for CHAPS (or GBS Transfer if you have this facility)
Monday	Monday 22nd	Monday 22nd
Tuesday	Tuesday 22nd	Tuesday 22nd
Wednesday	Wednesday 22nd	Wednesday 22nd
Thursday	Thursday 22nd	Thursday 22nd
Friday	Friday 22nd	Friday 22nd
Saturday	Friday 21st	Friday 21st
Sunday	Friday 21st	Friday 20th

* Assumes payment does not use the Faster Payment Service

If you pay by post

If paying by post, your cheque payment must be posted early enough to reach HMRC no later than the 19th of the month. To allow for possible postal delays, for which HMRC are not responsible, please allow at least three working days for the payment to arrive. For interest and penalty purposes your payment is treated as being received on the day your cheque arrives.

Where HMRC receive it on a day that the office is closed the date used will be the day the office was first closed. For example, cheque received on a Monday will be treated as having been received on the Saturday before.

VAT returns and payments

VAT Returns are not annual returns, so there is no fixed date in the year for them to be filed, they are filed for a ‘VAT period’ unless the trader is registered under the ‘Annual Accounting Scheme’

VAT periods are usually of 3 months duration (referred to as a quarter) or 1 month, depending on the VAT scheme the trader is registered under.

Monthly or Quarterly VAT scheme

30 days after the end of the VAT period

VAT Return for the period must be filed and any VAT due must be paid. An extension of a further 7 days beyond this date is available if the return is filed online.

Annual Accounting Scheme

Monthly or quarterly during the accounting period

Depending on whether registered under a monthly or quarterly VAT scheme, estimated VAT is payable at the end of each month (9 payments) or each quarter (3 payments)

Two months after the end of the annual accounting period

VAT Return and balancing payment for the accounting period must be filed and any VAT due must be paid.