Pay your Corporation Tax bill

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1. Overview

The deadline for your payment will depend on your taxable profits.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Taxable profits of up to 拢1.5 million

You must pay your Corporation Tax 9 months and 1 day after the end of your accounting period. Your accounting period is usually your financial year, but you may have 2 accounting periods in the year you set up your company.

Taxable profits of more than 拢1.5 million

You must pay your Corporation Tax in instalments.

Check the rules and deadlines:

Ways to pay

Make sure you pay HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by the deadline. They may charge you interest if you do not pay on time. They鈥檒l pay you interest if you pay your tax early.

The time you need to allow depends on how you pay.

You cannot pay Corporation Tax by post.

Same day or next day

3 working days

5 working days

If the deadline falls on a weekend or bank holiday, make sure your payment reaches HMRC on the last working day before it (unless you鈥檙e paying by Faster Payments using online or telephone banking).

2. Direct Debit

Set up and make changes to a Direct Debit through your company鈥檚 .

Use your 17-character Corporation Tax payment reference number for the accounting period you鈥檙e paying.

You鈥檒l find your reference number:

  • on your 鈥榥otice to deliver your tax return鈥� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company鈥檚 - choose 鈥榲iew Corporation Tax statement鈥�, 鈥榓ccounting periods鈥�, then select the correct period

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you鈥檒l need to use a different one each time you pay.

Your payment may be delayed if you use the wrong reference number.

How long it takes

Allow 5 working days to process a Direct Debit the first time you set one up.

It should take 3 working days each time you pay once you鈥檝e already authorised a Direct Debit from HMRC.

Payments will appear on your bank statements as 鈥�HMRC 狈顿顿厂鈥�.

If you鈥檝e not used your Direct Debit for 2 years or more, check with your bank that it鈥檚 still set up.

3. Approve a payment through your online bank account

You can pay your Corporation Tax bill directly using your online or mobile bank account.

When you鈥檙e ready to pay, .

Select the 鈥榩ay by bank account鈥� option. You鈥檒l then be directed to sign in to your online or mobile banking account to approve a payment to 鈥楬MRC Shipley鈥�.

Use your 17-character Corporation Tax payment reference number for the accounting period you鈥檙e paying.

You鈥檒l find your reference number:

  • on your 鈥榥otice to deliver your tax return鈥� or on any reminders from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
  • in your company鈥檚 - choose 鈥榲iew account鈥�, 鈥榓ccounting period鈥�, then select the correct period

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you鈥檒l need to use a different one each time you pay.

The payment is usually instant but can take up to 2 hours to show in your bank account.

You鈥檒l need to have your online banking details ready to pay this way.

4. Make an online or telephone bank transfer

You can pay HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by Faster Payments, CHAPS or Bacs.

Your 鈥榥otice to deliver your tax return鈥� or any reminder from HMRC, will tell you which account to pay into. If you鈥檙e not sure, use HMRC Cumbernauld.

  • sort code: 08 32 10聽
  • account number: 12001039
  • account name - HMRC 颁耻尘产别谤苍补耻濒诲听

Or:

  • sort code: 08 32 10聽
  • account number: 12001020
  • account name - HMRC Shipley

Reference number

Use your 17-character Corporation Tax payment reference number for the accounting period you鈥檙e paying.

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you鈥檒l need to use a different one each time you pay.

If you鈥檝e paid by bank transfer in the past and saved HMRC as a payee, your bank automatically saves the reference number you last used. You鈥檒l need to update this with the correct reference number.

You鈥檒l find your reference number:

  • on your 鈥榥otice to deliver your tax return鈥� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company鈥檚 - choose 鈥榲iew Corporation Tax statement鈥�, 鈥榓ccounting periods鈥�, then select the correct period

Your payment may be delayed if you use the wrong reference number.

How long it takes

Payments made by Faster Payments (online or telephone banking) will usually reach HMRC on the same or next day, including weekends and bank holidays.

CHAPS payments usually reach HMRC the same working day if you pay within your bank鈥檚 processing times.

Bacs payments usually take 3 working days.

Check your bank鈥檚 transaction limits and processing times before making a payment.

Overseas accounts

Use these details to pay from an overseas account.

  • account number (IBAN) - GB62 BARC 2011 4770 2976 90

  • Business identifier code (BIC) - BARCGB22聽

  • account name -聽 HMRC Cumbernauld

翱谤:听

  • account number (IBAN) - GB03 BARC 2011 4783 9776 92聽

  • Business identifier code (BIC) - BARCGB22聽

  • account name -聽 HMRC Shipley

Some banks will charge you if you do not pay in pounds sterling.

Multiple payments by CHAPS

Send an online CHAPS enquiry form if you want to make a single payment to cover more than one company for the same accounting period.

HMRC鈥檚 banking address is:

Barclays Bank PLC
1 Churchill Place
London
United Kingdom
E14 5HP

5. By debit or corporate credit card online

You can .

There鈥檚 a fee if you pay by corporate credit card or corporate debit card. The fee is not refundable.

There鈥檚 no fee if you pay by personal debit card.

You cannot pay with a personal credit card.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will accept your payment on the date you make it (even on bank holidays and weekends) - not the date it reaches HMRC鈥檚 account.

If you鈥檙e unable to pay your Corporation Tax bill in full by card, you should use another payment method.

Reference number

Use your 17-character Corporation Tax payment reference number for the accounting period you鈥檙e paying.

You鈥檒l find your reference number:

  • on your 鈥榥otice to deliver your tax return鈥� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company鈥檚 - choose 鈥榲iew Corporation Tax statement鈥�, 鈥榓ccounting periods鈥�, then select the correct period

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you鈥檒l need to use a different one each time you pay.

Your payment may be delayed if you use the wrong reference number.

6. At your bank or building society

You can only pay at your branch by cash or cheque if you have a paying-in slip from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Paying by cheque

Make your cheque payable to 鈥楬M Revenue and Customs only鈥�.

Write your 17-character Corporation Tax payment reference number on the back of your cheque.

You鈥檒l find your reference number:

  • on your 鈥榥otice to deliver your tax return鈥� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company鈥檚 - choose 鈥榲iew account鈥�, 鈥榓ccounting period鈥�, then select the correct period

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you鈥檒l need to use a different one each time you pay.

Your payment may be delayed if you use the wrong reference number.

Allow 3 working days for your payment to reach HMRC鈥檚 bank account.

If you do not have a paying-in slip

You鈥檒l need to pay by another method instead, for example:

7. Payments for a group of companies

If your company is in a group, you can pay Corporation Tax under a Group Payment Arrangement.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will send you your Corporation Tax payment reference number.

8. Tell HMRC no payment is due

Tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have nothing to pay. HMRC will send you payment reminders if you do not.

You must tell HMRC by filling in the .

You must still .

9. Check your payment has been received

Check your to see if your payment has been received. It should be updated within a few days of HMRC receiving the payment.