You may also have to make two payments on account for the tax year before the return for that year is due. If you calculate your own tax, you will also calculate your own payments on account. If we calculate your tax for you, we will also tell you if you have to make payments on account and how much. In some circumstances, you can ask to reduce your payments on account. The Tax Return Calculation Guide will tell you when you can do this.
Interest is charged from the date the payment was due.
A five per cent surcharge is imposed on any of the tax bill which remains unpaid more than 28 days after the date it was due. An additional five per cent surcharge is imposed on any of the final tax bill which is still unpaid more than six months after it was due. Surcharges are not imposed on unpaid payments on account although interest will be charged. But payments on account which have not been paid by the time the final tax bill is due become part of that final bill and are then liable to surcharge. If your return is late and we think you have not paid enough tax on time we can estimate the amount of tax we think you should pay.