In this section:
- Why your tax credits claim has to be renewed
- Help with the tax credits renewal pack
- Getting ready to renew your tax credits?
- Working out income from employment for your tax credits claim
- Working out income from self-employment for your tax credits claim
- Working out other income for your tax credits claim
- Deadlines for renewing your tax credits claim
Deadlines for renewing your tax credits claim
It's very important that you renew your tax credits claim. You don't have to complete any paperwork if you don't want to, you can renew by phone. The sooner you do so, the sooner we can make sure you get the money you're entitled to. If you don't renew by the deadline, your payments will stop.
If you received an Annual Declaration form
The deadline for renewing
You're likely to get an Annual Declaration form as well as an Annual Review notice in your renewal pack. This is so you can tell us what your income was in the last year. We need this information so we can check you got all the money you were entitled to, and check your payments going forward.
You don't have to fill in the form and send it back to us, you can call the Tax Credit Helpline and give us the information on 0845 300 3900 or textphone 0845 300 3909.
The deadline for returning the form or calling us with the information is usually 31 July, but if it's different to this it will be shown on the front of your renewal pack. Don't wait for the deadline. The sooner you check your details and tell us of any changes, the sooner we can make sure you get the money you're entitled to. If you don't yet know your actual income for the past year, you can use an estimate, but you must let us know the actual amount by 31 January.
If you miss the deadline
If we do not hear from you by the deadline, we will stop your tax credits payments and you will be asked to pay back any overpayments from the last year and any payments made to you since 6 April.
Once you've renewed your tax credits, we'll send you two award notices. One that shows your final award for the year that ended on 5 April, and one that shows what your payments will be going forward.
It's important to check both award notices carefully and tell us if anything is missing, wrong or incomplete.
If you received an Annual Review notice only
The deadline for renewing
If you only get the family element of Child Tax Credit, or you claimed tax credits but didn't get them because your income is too high (a nil award), you'll just get an Annual Review notice as part of your renewal pack.
You need to check the information carefully and tell us immediately if anything has changed, or if anything is wrong, missing or incomplete. You'll also need to work out your income from the last tax year. If it is above or below a certain level - as shown on the notice, you must call us and tell us what your income was by calling the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900 or textphone 0845 300 3909.
In most cases you must do this by 31 July. The deadline will be shown on the first page of your renewal pack. However it is best to call us as soon as possible, particularly if there has been a change in circumstance as you may not be getting all the money you are entitled to (an underpayment), or you may be getting too much (an overpayment) which you may have to pay back.
If you miss the deadline
If we do not hear from you by the date shown on your Annual Review notice - usually 31 July - we will treat the information on your Annual Review notice as correct and complete for the whole of the period shown and:
- make a final decision on your award for the previous year by checking the payments you received against the information shown about your circumstances
- renew your current claim if tax credit payments are still due to you
If we later find that you knew this information was not right or incomplete, you may be asked to pay back any tax credits overpaid and you might be asked to pay a penalty.
Get help with your tax credits renewal pack
Your payments during the renewal period
Your tax credit payments continue during the renewal period - April, May and June, but are provisional and will stop if you do not give us the information. It is important you tell us about changes in your personal circumstances so that we can start paying you the right amount as soon as possible after 6 April.
If you don't renew or you miss the deadline, your payments will stop and you may have to pay back any overpayment from the previous year as well as any money paid to you since 6 April.
How to avoid being paid too much or not enough tax credits
Contact us
You can contact our Tax Credit Helpline on Tel 0845 300 3900 or textphone 0845 300 3909 (open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm, seven days a week except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day).
More useful links
Tax credits: how and when to tell us about changes
