Need Time To Pay Your Tax Bill?

Do you need time to pay your tax bill? It happens to everyone but many people don’t know that HMRC have a Payment Support Service who will consider reasonable offers to pay.  HMRC will charge interest on any deferred tax and payments have to be made at the agreed times or the arrangement will lapse.  It is important to contact them as soon as you are aware that you may have a problem and preferably before the tax actually becomes due, though an arrangement may still be made if you are late.  You can ring them on 0300 200 3835 from 8 until 8 on weekdays and 8 until 4 at weekends. They can get very busy, so it’s best to ring early in the day.
You should be aware though that they might first ask if you have a credit card and suggest you pay the liability using the card. If you resist this, in general it is usually possible to spread the cost over three months, though it may be possible to arrange a longer period. In that case HMRC will require a detailed statement of assets and liabilities before making an agreement. They aren’t allowed to ask about a spouse or  partner’s income when considering time to pay, just your personal income and expenditure.
Please don’t hesitate to ask us if you are unsure how to handle the situation. And if HMRC won’t help we may be able to put you in touch with lenders who can, though they will be more expensive.