As an employer, you have many tax deadlines to meet. We'll cover the deadlines for PAYE and what it covers.
HM Revenue and Customs expects you to pay your PAYE bill by:
If you prefer to make cheque payments, you’ve got until the 19th of the month.
Your PAYE bill includes:
Your PAYE Settlement Agreements and Class 1A National Insurance bills are paid separately. Make sure you meet the deadline or you’ll have to pay penalties.
You can pay the same day or next day via online or faster payments phone banking or CHAPs.
To pay within three working days, you can use:
To pay within five working days, you can use:
If the deadline is on a weekend or bank holiday, ensure your payment arrives by the last working day before it (unless you’re using Faster Payments).
Get a payment booklet from HMRC so you can pay at your bank, at the post office or by post. Not using it anymore? Ask HMRC to stop sending it. They’ll automatically stop sending it when you make at least two electronic payments in a year.
How long will it take?
Faster Payments should reach HMRC on the same or next day. CHAPS payments should also arrive on the same day. Allow three working days for BACS payments.
Monthly payers
If you pay before the 6th, add extra numbers to your reference number.
Here’s how to work out the number you need.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tools/payinghmrc/currentyear.htm
Quarterly payers
If you pay before the 6th, add extra numbers to your reference number.
Here’s how to work out the number you need.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tools/payinghmrc/currentyear.htm
If you pay on or after the 5th, you need to add extra numbers to your reference number.
Here’s how to work out the number you need.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/tools/payinghmrc/currentyear.htm
Want to make a single payment through CHAPS for multiple PAYE schemes? You need to send an online CHAPS enquiry form to:
Barclays Bank PLC
1 Churchill Place
London
United Kingdom
E14 5HP
If you pay by credit card, note that there’s a non-refundable fee.
Your payment reference is your 13-character accounts office number.
Three working days.
In the boxes provided, enter the correct year and month the payment relates to.
If you don’t select the previous tax year and ‘month 12’ for the last tax year, you’ll be paying to the current tax year.
There’s now a limit on how many times you can use a card within a certain period to pay your tax. This depends entirely on what HMRC thinks is reasonable.
This applies only to multiple card payments against the same tax. If you can’t pay in full by card, consider using another method such as bank transfer.
Make your cheque payable to ‘HM Revenue and Customs only’ and add your accounts office reference number. Use the payslip for the correct period. Don't have one? Ask HMRC to send a payment booklet.
Your payment should arrive in three working days.
After 15 December 2017, you can’t pay at the Post Office. Until then, you can pay by card or cash, up to a maximum of £10,000.
Use the payslip for the correct period. Ask HMRC for a payment booklet if you don’t have one.
Payment should take three working days.
Go into your HMRC online account to set up a Direct Debit and make a single payment. Each time you pay by Direct Debit, you’ll need to set up a new payment.
Quote your 13-character accounts office reference number.
When initially set up, your Direct Debit should take five days to process. After that, allow three working days. You’ll see the payments on your bank statement as ‘HMRC NDDS’.
Enter the correct year and month for the payment in the correct boxes.
Send your cheque to:
HMRC
Direct
BX5 5BD
Your payment should arrive within three working days.
Your cheque should be payable to ‘HM Revenue and Customs only’, then add your 13-character reference number. Enclose the relevant payslip. If you don’t have one, ask HMRC to send a new one or print one off online. You can ask for a receipt.
Your HMRC online account should have updated within six working days of your payment.
If you haven’t paid anyone for at least a full tax month, you must tell HMRC using an Employer Payment Summary (EPS). Send it by the 19th of the month after the relevant tax month.
If you don’t send one, you’ll get an estimate from HMRC and might have to pay a penalty.