Pay your Corporation Tax bill

Printable version

1. Overview

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp deadline for your payment will depend on your taxable profits.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Taxable profits of up to £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 £1.5 million

You must pay your Corporation Tax in instalments.

Check the rules and deadlines:

Paying Corporation Tax penalties

You’re charged late filing penalties if you do not file your Company Tax Return on time, even if there is no tax to pay.

Pay penalties using:

  • any of the available ways to pay 
  • the 17-character Corporation Tax payment reference number for the accounting period that the penalties apply to

You can find your payment reference number:

  • on your ‘notice to deliver your tax returnâ€�
  • on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company’s

Ways to pay

Make sure you pay HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by the deadline. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappy may charge you interest if you do not pay on time. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappy’ll pay you interest if you pay your tax early.

Choose the way to pay that allows enough time for your payment to clear.

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’re paying by Faster Payments using online or telephone banking).

2. Direct Debit

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

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

You’ll find your reference number:

  • on your ‘notice to deliver your tax returnâ€� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company’s - choose ‘view Corporation Tax statementâ€�, ‘accounting periodsâ€�, then select the correct period

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you’ll 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’ve already authorised a Direct Debit from HMRC.

Payments will appear on your bank statements as â€�HMRC ±·¶Ù¶Ù³§â€�.

If you’ve not used your Direct Debit for 2 years or more, check with your bank that it’s 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’re ready to pay, .

Select the ‘pay by bank account� option. You’ll then be directed to sign in to your online or mobile banking account to approve a payment to ‘HMRC Shipley�.

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

You’ll find your reference number:

  • on your ‘notice to deliver your tax returnâ€� or on any reminders from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
  • in your company’s - choose ‘view accountâ€�, ‘accounting periodâ€�, then select the correct period

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

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp payment is usually instant but can take up to 2 hours to show in your bank account.

You’ll need to have your online banking details ready to pay this way.

4. Make an online or telephone bank transfer

How you pay depends on whether you’re using a UK or an overseas bank account.

UK bank accounts

You can make a bank transfer using Faster Payments, CHAPS or Bacs:

  • from your online bank account
  • by phoning your bank

Your ‘notice to deliver your tax return�, or any reminder from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), will tell you which account to pay into. If you’re not sure, use HMRC Cumbernauld.

  • sort code: 08 32 10 
  • account number: 12001039
  • account name - HMRC °ä³Ü³¾²ú±ð°ù²Ô²¹³Ü±ô»åÌý

Or:

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

Overseas bank accounts

Use these details to pay from an overseas account.

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

  • Business Identifier Code (BIC) - BARCGB22 

  • account name -  HMRC Cumbernauld

°¿°ù:Ìý

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

  • Business Identifier Code (BIC) - BARCGB22 

  • account name -  HMRC Shipley

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

Reference number

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

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

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

You’ll find your reference number:

  • on your ‘notice to deliver your tax returnâ€� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company’s - choose ‘view Corporation Tax statementâ€�, ‘accounting periodsâ€�, then select the correct period

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

Banking address

Barclays Bank PLC
1 Churchill Place 
³¢´Ç²Ô»å´Ç²ÔÌý
United Kingdom 
E14 5HP

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’s processing times.

Bacs payments usually take 3 working days.

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

Multiple payments by CHAPS

To make a single payment covering several companies for the same accounting period:

  • download the form and follow the instructions for emailing it to HMRC

5. By debit or corporate credit card online

You can .

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappre’s a fee if you pay by corporate credit card or corporate debit card. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp fee is not refundable.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappre’s 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’s account.

If you’re 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’re paying.

You’ll find your reference number:

  • on your ‘notice to deliver your tax returnâ€� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company’s - choose ‘view Corporation Tax statementâ€�, ‘accounting periodsâ€�, then select the correct period

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you’ll 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 ‘HM Revenue and Customs only�.

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

You’ll find your reference number:

  • on your ‘notice to deliver your tax returnâ€� or on any reminders from HMRC
  • in your company’s - choose ‘view accountâ€�, ‘accounting periodâ€�, then select the correct period

Your payment reference number changes with each accounting period, so you’ll 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’s bank account.

If you do not have a paying-in slip

You’ll 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.