Late commercial payments: charging interest and debt recovery

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Interest on late commercial payments

The interest you can charge if another business is late paying for goods or a service is 鈥榮tatutory interest鈥� - this is 8% plus the Bank of England base rate for business to business transactions. You cannot claim statutory interest if there鈥檚 a different rate of interest in a contract.

You cannot use a lower interest rate if you have a contract with public authorities.

Check the .

Example

If your business were owed 拢1,000 and the Bank of England base rate were 0.5%:

  • the annual statutory interest on this would be 拢85 (1,000 x 0.085 = 拢85)
  • divide 拢85 by 365 to get the daily interest: 23p a day (85 / 365 = 0.23)
  • after 50 days this would be 拢11.50 (50 x 0.23 = 11.50)

Send a new invoice if you decide to add interest to the money you鈥檙e owed.