In this section:
- Why you need to report changes to the Tax Credit Office
- Tax credits: how and when to report changes
- You haven't reported a change - what happens to your tax credits?
- Family changes - how they can affect tax credits
- Changes at work - how they can affect tax credits
- Changes in income and tax credits
- Going abroad temporarily and claiming tax credits
Changes in income and tax credits
If for any reason your income goes down during the year you should tell the Tax Credit Office as you may get more tax credits. Tell them also if your income goes up. It probably won't change the amount of tax credits you are getting now, but it will help them to work out your payments for the next tax year based on the right income.
How changes in income affect your tax credits
If your income in the current tax year is different from your income in the previous year, then the amount of tax credit you get may change. If your income changes in any of the following ways, then you need to tell the Tax Credit Office about it. A tax year runs from 6 April one year to 5 April the next.
- If your income for the current tax year is expected to be less than last year, you may be entitled to extra tax credits.
- If your income for the current tax year is expected to be more than £25,000 higher than income for the last year, you may get less tax credits.
- There's no need for you to tell the Tax Credit Office if you expect your income for the current year to be no more than £25,000 higher than your income for the last year. It will make no difference to the amount of tax credit you will receive for the current year although the increased income will be taken into account in the following year.
Find out how to work out your income for your tax credits claim
When to tell the Tax Credit Office about a change in income
If your income goes down, it's a good idea to tell the Tax Credit Office as you may be entitled to more tax credits.
It's important to tell them straight away if your income goes up by more than £25,000, as your tax credits may go down and you could be building up an overpayment which you may have to pay back. Any decrease in your payments will be backdated to the date your income changed.
Find out how to repay a tax credits overpayment
What happens if you don't report a change in income?
Tell the Tax Credit Office straight away if your income goes up by
less than £25,000. If all your other circumstances stay the same then
your tax credits will not change until the end of the tax year. However,
they need the new figure for your income to work out how much they should
pay you for the following year.
If you do not tell them about the increase in your income until you
renew your tax credits after the end of the year you could be building
up an overpayment that you may have to pay back.
Find out how to renew your tax credits claim
Contact the Tax Credit Office
If you need more help you can call the Tax Credit Helpline which is open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The numbers you can ring are:
- tel 0845 300 3900
- textphone 0845 300 3909 - if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment
If you're calling from overseas you can also contact the Tax Credit Office on Tel + 44 289 053 8192.
More useful links
Why you need to report changes to the Tax
Credit Office
Tax credits: how and when to report changes
Protect
your right to tax credits by claiming early
Tax
credits information if you're coming off benefits
How
your tax credits entitlement is worked out
