Self Assessment tax payment

For millions in the UK, income tax is worked out for them and is automatically deducted from their salary before they get paid.

But for many others, they have to file a Self Assessment tax return, to work out what they owe HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on their income and capital gains.

 

All income has to be included in a Self Assessment, not just income that hasn't been taxed at source.

 

The next deadline for Self Assessments is midnight on 31 January 2025 for the 2023/2024 tax year. If you don't submit yours on time, you could be fined.

What’s a certificate of interest? And how do I get one?

The certification of interest (tax certificate) confirms the total amount of credit interest paid into an account over the tax year and is needed to complete your tax Self Assessment.

You can order a certificate of interest via our chatbot:

  • App – go to ‘Help’, select ‘Chat now’ and type ‘Order a tax certificate’
  • Online Banking – select ‘Message us’ in the blue box and type ‘Order a tax certificate’.

To make next year easier, you can ask our chat team to set up an automatic annual issue of your tax certificate.

Once we’ve received your request we’ll post it to you within 14 working days.

When’s the deadline?

Each Self Assessment period covers a tax year beginning and ending in early April. 

The deadline for the 2023/2024 tax year is at midnight on 31 January 2025. All online Self Assessments covering the period from 6 April 2023 to 5 April 2024 have to be submitted by then.

If you miss the deadline there's a £100 fixed penalty.

If there are more delays you can be fined further. And after 3 months there are extra penalties of £10 per day, which can increase again after 6 months and 12 months.

HMRC also charges interest on any tax due that's not paid by the deadline of 31 January.

Find out how to register and file your self-assessment on the Government's website.

How do I pay HMRC?

If you submit your online return on time, any tax you owe is calculated automatically as soon as you’ve completed your Self Assessment.

Once you’ve submitted it, it’s easy to pay your bill using our App or Online Banking. You’ll need to find the relevant bank details for HMRC so you can make the transfer.

The GOV.UK website also has information about other ways of paying, such as Direct Debit, at a bank or building society, or by cheque.

Please don’t forget – it’s really important your payment to HMRC arrives on time. first direct can’t accept responsibility for any missed payments.