This guide offers a reminder of Corporation Tax payment deadlines and explains all of the available payment options.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) counts all of the payment methods below as electronic apart from payments by post. Paying electronically:
On this page:
From 16 December 2011 HMRC will be able to accept payments made using the Faster Payments Service (FPS).
FPS 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 or next day, provided the value of the payment does not exceed the limit set by your own bank or building society.
Before making a payment using FPS 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 making a payment.
More about Faster Payments Service
From 1 April 2011, companies and organisations will have to submit their Company Tax Returns online and pay all Corporation Tax and related payments electronically. Related payments include interest charges on overdue Corporation Tax and penalties for not filing Company Tax Returns on time.
You should not send cheque payments for Corporation Tax to HMRC after March 2011. If you want to use a cheque to make your payment, rather than posting your cheque to HMRC, you need to take your cheque and HMRC payslip to your own bank or building society or to a participating Post Office. HMRC counts these payment options as electronic. For more information on how to do this see the sections in this guide 'Paying by Bank Giro' and 'Paying at the Post Office'.
HMRC is under no obligation to accept a cheque for Corporation Tax and related payments after 31 March 2011. On any occasion when, exceptionally, payment is made by cheque after that date and HMRC chooses to accept the payment the funds will be treated as being received by HMRC on the date when cleared funds reach HMRC’s bank account – not the date when HMRC receive the cheque. This may result in your cheque payment being treated as late, and incurring late payment interest, if you pay close to the payment deadline.
Your company is responsible for calculating how much Corporation Tax it owes and for paying Corporation Tax on time.
If you don't pay your Corporation Tax on time, HMRC will charge interest from the day that it's due until you pay it.
Your Corporation Tax payment is normally due by nine months and one day after the end of your accounting period. So if your Company Tax Return covers your accounting period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010, then Corporation Tax must be paid no later than 1 October 2011.
If your company has to pay Corporation Tax by instalments, your payment dates are different. Instalments are based on your estimate of the tax liability on profits for an accounting period and the first two instalments are paid before the end of the accounting period.
To help you pay on time, you might want to visit the Business Link website where you can create a calendar of key tax deadlines for the next 12 months. You can also sign up to receive regular email alerts as each date approaches.
Find out more about deadlines for paying Corporation Tax
Set up tax deadline email alerts (Opens new window)
If you pay your Corporation Tax early, HMRC will pay you interest. This also applies to each instalment due from a large company.
If you're registered for Corporation Tax Online you can set up a Direct Debit for HMRC to collect payment. This method allows you to set up future payments as soon as you know how much is due - for example when you complete your calculation.
HMRC will only ever collect the amount you ask them to by Direct Debit.
HMRC recommends that you pay by Direct Debit because:
Find out about the Direct Debit Guarantee (PDF 49K)
To register for Corporation Tax Online please go to the Welcome to Online Services page on the HMRC website.
Once registered you can start setting up Direct Debit payments right away - you don't have to wait for the Activation PIN which is needed to file your tax return online. However, the service must be activated within 28 days to ensure you have access to the Direct Debit online next time you want to make a payment so please make sure you activate the service when you receive your PIN.
The first time that you set up a Direct Debit payment with us you need to allow at least five bank working days before the date you wish to make your payment. This is to allow enough time for your bank or building society to set up a Direct Debit Instruction so that payments can be collected by HMRC. You only need to allow at least three bank working days once the Direct Debit Instruction is in place Bank working days are Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays. If you haven't allowed enough time for your payment to be collected by Direct Debit please use one of the other electronic payment methods described in this guide.
Please note that it may be up to 36 hours before you can see the details of the a Direct Debit payment which you have set up online.
To be able to set up a Direct Debit online you must be able to authorise Direct Debits from the bank/building society account on your own. If the account that you intend to make payments from requires more than one signature HMRC recommend that you speak to your bank or building society to see if they would be happy for just one of the signatories to set up a Direct Debit Instruction/payment in favour of HMRC. You would then be able to do this online.
If your bank or building society will not give approval then please use one of the other electronic payment methods described in this guide.
If you are an agent you must be an authorised signatory on your client's bank account to set up a Direct Debit Instruction (DDI) online on their behalf.
To set up a Direct Debit Instruction from the HMRC home page
You only need to set up another Direct Debit Instruction during a subsequent visit if you want payments to come out of a different bank/building society account. If you are paying from the same bank account please set up further payments by:
Your Direct Debit payment will appear on your bank statement with the description 'HMRC NDDS'.
You can amend or cancel a Direct Debit payment that you have set up online up to three bank working days before the payment date.
If you have a debit or credit card issued by a UK card issuer, you can pay your Corporation Tax over the internet using the BillPay service provided by Santander Corporate Banking (formerly Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank).
If you wish to pay by credit card a non-refundable transaction fee of 1.4 per cent will be added to the charge. Any charge of less than £0.01 will be rounded up to a penny.
HMRC does not accept American Express or Diners Club cards.
A BillPay payment takes three bank working days to reach HMRC. Bank working days are Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
To make a payment you will need your:
If you don't know your specific reference for the accounting period you want to pay you should contact HMRC on Tel 01236 785057. You will also need to provide HMRC with your ten-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference.
Check your Corporation Tax reference using HMRC's reference checker
Further information on making a debit or credit card payment (Opens new window)
Use the BillPay service (Opens new window)
The BillPay service is a Santander Corporate Banking (formerly Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank) product. HMRC will liaise with the supplier in the unlikely event that there are difficulties with access or service availability.
You can use your bank or building society services to pay by:
Bacs Direct Credit - your payment is transmitted by Bacs direct to HMRC’s bank account. This service is only available for customers whose businesses are authorised by their bank to submit files direct to Bacs. It normally takes three bank working days for a payment by Bacs Direct Credit to reach HMRC. Bank working days are Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
Internet banking – select ‘HM Revenue & Customs’ from your bank/building society’s beneficiary list (sometimes called a ‘payee list’) or use HMRC’s bank account details to set up a manual instruction. You also need to enter your Corporation Tax reference and the payment amount. When using your bank or building society’s beneficiary list, please ensure you take care in selecting the correct HMRC entry for the payment you want to make.
Telephone banking – phone your bank/building society and give them HMRC’s bank account details, your Corporation Tax reference and the amount to pay.
Faster Payments – this is a service that has been introduced by the banking industry for sending payments initiated by internet or telephone banking on the same or next day, providing the value of the payment does not exceed the value limit set by the sending bank.
Before making a payment you should contact your bank or building society to confirm the services available to you, any daily value limits and the latest cut off times for making a payment.
More about the Faster Payments Service
Information about Faster Payment limits (Opens new window)
CHAPS – this enables you to tell your bank to make a payment that will reach HMRC on the same day provided you initiate the payment within the time specified by your bank (usually between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm). CHAPS payments are more expensive than other payment methods but may be of benefit if you are making very large payments.
You can complete and print off a standard format instruction to your bank to make a CHAPS payment to HMRC by following the links below. Please note that some bank branches may require an accompanying letter as an authorisation to pay.
Complete and print out CHAPS payment request for Shipley
Complete and print out CHAPS payment request for Cumbernauld
To pay your Corporation Tax using any of the above payment methods you'll need to set up the payment details with your bank. You'll need to supply them with:
When making a payment to HMRC please make sure you always use the correct bank account details and reference number. And that your bank has confirmed that your payment has been made successfully.
If you make a mistake with the sort code or account number there may be a delay before your record is credited or your payment may not be received at all. That could mean you are charged a penalty, interest or surcharge for late payment.
When paying by Bacs Direct Credit, internet or telephone banking, Faster Payments or CHAPS you should only use the bank account details shown below and not the account number shown on the front of your HMRC payslip as this sort code is only for payments made by bank giro or at a Post Office. Please refer to the back of your payslip to check which of the Accounts Offices below is relevant for you. If you have not received a payslip and are unsure which Accounts Office details you should use please use the Cumbernauld details.
Accounts Office |
Sort code |
Account number |
Account name |
|---|---|---|---|
Cumbernauld |
083210 |
12001039 |
HMRC Cumbernauld |
Shipley |
083210 |
12001020 |
HMRC Shipley |
If your bank asks for the address of the bank to which payment is being made please use
Citi
Citigroup Centre
Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LB
You will need to provide HMRC with your Corporation Tax reference number. This is shown on the bottom line of your payslip on the left hand side. The reference is made up of 17 characters, for example 1234005678A00101A - this reference is only an example and should not be used to make a payment. Your reference is specific to the accounting period you are paying so please quote it exactly. If you provide an incorrect reference number there may be a delay before your account is credited.
If you don't know your specific reference for the accounting period you want to pay you should contact HMRC on Tel 01236 785057. You will also need to provide HMRC with your ten-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR).
It is important that you show the reference number with no gaps between the characters - otherwise it could lead to delays in updating your record.
You can check the number using HMRC's online checker tool below.
Check your Corporation Tax reference using HMRC's reference validator
When paying by CHAPS, HMRC recommends that you make separate payment for each Corporation Tax reference number.
However if you think you would like to make a single payment to cover a number of Corporation Tax references (called a 'multiple' or 'composite' payment) please contact the HMRC Accounts Office you normally deal with. They will then get back to you with further guidance.
Note: Please do not use these links to ask for advice on anything other than CHAPS payments, as HMRC will not be able to respond.
Contact HMRC’s Cumbernauld Accounts Office
Contact HMRC’s Shipley Accounts Office
Remember, if you're late submitting your return or payment, you may
be charged a penalty. Interest may also be charged.
If your bank or building society offers the Bank Giro service you can make a Corporation Tax payment at your own bank branch by cheque or cash using your HMRC payslip. HMRC treats any payment made by Bank Giro as electronic.
The new change relating to cleared funds for cheque payments by post does not affect any bank giro payments made by cheque.
If paying this way please:
To allow for possible delays in bank processing (for which HMRC is not responsible) please allow at least three bank working days for your payment to reach them. Bank working days are Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
When paying by Bank Giro please only use an official HMRC payslip. HMRC payslips contain the correct HMRC bank account information and ensures payment reaches your account on time.
You can make a Corporation Tax payment at the Post Office by cheque, cash or debit card without charge. HMRC treats any payment made at the Post Office as electronic.
The new change relating to cleared funds for cheque payments by post does not affect any payments made at the Post Office by cheque.
If paying this way please:
To allow for possible delays in bank processing (for which HMRC is not responsible) please allow at least three bank working days for your payment to reach them. Bank working days are Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
From 1 April 2011, companies and organisations will have to submit their Company Tax Returns and pay all Corporation Tax and related payments electronically. You should not send cheque payments for Corporation Tax to HMRC after March 2011.
If you want to use a cheque to make your payment, rather than posting your cheque to HMRC, you need to take your cheque and HMRC payslip to your own bank or building society or to a participating Post Office. HMRC counts these payment options as electronic. For more information on how to do this see the sections in this guide 'Paying by Bank Giro' and 'Paying at the Post Office'.
On any occasion when, exceptionally, payment is made by cheque after March 2011, the funds will be treated as being received by HMRC on the date when cleared funds reach HMRC’s bank account – not the date when HMRC receive the cheque.
If paying by post please:
If you are sending a payment to HMRC and do not have an HMRC pre-addressed envelope please send your payment to:
HM Revenue & Customs
Bradford
BD98 1YY
HMRC will only accept a postdated cheque in the following circumstances:
Please note that because of the highly automated systems used for processing postal payments HMRC can only identify a postdated cheque if there is a letter with it.
If you do not send a covering letter HMRC will not recognise that the cheque is postdated and will present it straight away.
HMRC recommends that you make your Corporation Tax payments electronically using one of the methods described elsewhere in this guide. Electronic payments are generally more efficient and secure, providing you give HMRC an accurate reference number.
Where you have chosen to make your payments under a Group Payment Arrangement (GPA) and agreed which payment method you will use you'll need to make sure that you use the payment reference number provided by HMRC.
HMRC will write to you each year to give you the payment reference details. Your reference number is made up of 17 characters, for example 1234005678A00101A - this reference is only an example and should not be used to make a payment. Your reference is specific to your GPA so please quote it exactly. If you provide an incorrect reference number there may be a delay before your account is credited.
If you don't have a specific GPA reference you should contact HMRC on Tel 01236 785499.
It's important that you show the reference number with no gaps between the characters – otherwise it could lead to delays in updating your records.
Information about the Bacs Direct Credit, internet/telephone banking, CHAPS and Bank Giro payment methods can be found in the relevant sections within this guide.
Paying by internet, telephone banking or Bacs Direct Credit
You can pay your Corporation Tax electronically from a bank account outside the UK.
You'll need to give your bank or building society HMRC's bank account details. Please refer to the back of your payslip to check which Accounts Office is relevant for you. If you have not received a payslip and are unsure which Accounts Office details you should use please use the Cumbernauld details.
Please take care if you need to enter HMRC's bank account details. If you make a mistake with the sort code or account number there may be a delay before your record is credited or your payment may not be received at all.
When making a payment from abroad you should not use the account number shown on the front of your HMRC payslip as this sort code is only used for payments made by Bank Giro or at a Post Office. You should provide your bank with HMRC's international bank account details as shown below.
If paying to Accounts Office Shipley use the account name 'HMRC Shipley'.
Currency |
International Bank Account Number (IBAN) |
SWIFT Bank Identifier Code (BIC) |
|---|---|---|
Sterling and foreign currencies (including euro) |
GB05CITI08321012001020 |
CITIGB2L |
If paying to Accounts Office Cumbernauld use the account name 'HMRC Cumbernauld'.
Currency |
International Bank Account Number (IBAN) |
SWIFT Bank Identifier Code (BIC) |
|---|---|---|
Sterling and foreign currencies (including euro) |
GB74CITI08321012001039 |
CITIGB2L |
Note: Where an IBAN is shown you must give this number as well as the SWIFT BIC.
If your bank asks for the address of the bank to which payment is being made please use
Citi
Citigroup Centre
Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LB
You will need to provide HMRC with your Corporation Tax reference number. This is shown on the bottom line of your payslip on the left hand side. The reference is made up of 17 characters, for example 1234005678A00101A - this reference is only an example and should not be used to make a payment. Your reference is specific to the accounting period you are paying so please quote it exactly. If you provide an incorrect reference number there may be a delay before your account is credited.
If you don't know your specific reference for the accounting period you want to pay you should contact HMRC on Tel 01236 785057. You will also need to provide HMRC with your ten-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference.
It is important that you show the reference number with no gaps between the characters - otherwise it could lead to delays in updating your records.
You can check the number using HMRC's online checker tool below.
Check your Corporation Tax reference using HMRC's reference validator
Even if you have no Corporation Tax payment to make for an accounting period you must let HMRC know. You can do this online using the link below. It's important to do this before the payment due date to avoid being issued with a payment reminder.
Notify HMRC online that no Corporation Tax payment is due
In order to minimise costs to all taxpayers HMRC does not automatically issue receipts for payments. You can confirm payment has reached your account using the Corporation Tax Online service. All payments will be shown within a few days of receipt by HMRC providing you have supplied an accurate reference number.
However, if you are paying HMRC by post and want a receipt, you will need to include a letter with your payment asking for one. HMRC cannot identify any instructions written on payslips as they are processed automatically.
If you pay your Corporation Tax electronically you will not need a payslip, unless you pay at a bank or Post Office. HMRC recommends that you make your Corporation Tax payments electronically using one of the methods described elsewhere in this guide. Remember, from 1 April 2011, companies and organisations have to pay all Corporation Tax and related payments electronically.
Electronic payments are generally more efficient and secure, provided you give HMRC an accurate reference number.
However, if you are paying by post and you don't have a payslip these details should accompany your payment:
You should use the contact details described in the - 'Paying by post' section of this guide.
What to do if you can't pay Corporation Tax
File returns and manage your Corporation Tax account online
