Late filing and late payment penalties
What to expect if you file or pay late.
UK Company tax rates: from 6th April 2020 non-resident companies of which the income is derived mainly from UK property have been subject to UK Corporation Tax in the same way as UK companies.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS PAGE IS UNDER REVIEW
Late filing penalties
Self Assessment
If you miss the deadline, the longer you delay, the more you will have to pay. So it is important to send your Tax Return to H.M. Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as soon as you can.
If, for example, you file your Tax Return six months late, you will be asked to pay the first three penalties shown in the table below.
All of the penalties shown in the table below will be charged, even if you have no tax to pay or have paid the tax you owe.
Penalties for filing your Self Assessment Tax Return late
| Length of delay | Penalty charge |
|---|---|
| 1 day | Initial £100 |
| > 3 months | PLUS £10 each day, up to a maximum of £900 |
| > 6 months | PLUS £300 or 5% of the tax due, whichever is higher |
| > 12 months | PLUS £300 or 5% of the tax due, whichever is higher In serious cases you may be asked to pay up to 100% of the tax due instead |
The deadlines and penalties above also apply to each partner in a partnership.
Making Tax Digital (MTD)
Penalties for filing your quarterly updates and Annual Tax return late
There will be no MTD late submission penalties for quarterly updates for the tax year 2026-27. This does not apply to late submissions of the annual tax return for the tax year 2026-27.
After April 2027, one penalty point will be issued for each late quarterly update or annual tax return. A £200 penalty is applied once a taxpayer has accumulated four points. Points are reset to zero if: all submissions have been made on or before the due date for 12 months for taxpayers with quarterly filing obligations, and all submissions that were due in the preceding 24 months have been received by HMRC.
Late payment penalties
If you miss the payment deadline, the longer you delay, the more you will have to pay. So it is important to still send your payment to HMRC as soon as you can.
Each penalty is treated as a separate charge, which is added to any penalties already raised, where applicable. Each penalty is charged at the rate prevailing on the date it is incurred.
Self Assessment
| Length of delay | Applicable up to tax year 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| 30 days | 5% of the tax unpaid at that date |
| 6 months | PLUS 5% of the tax unpaid at that date |
| 12 months | PLUS 5% of the tax unpaid at that date In serious cases you may be asked to pay up to 100% of the tax due instead |
Self Assessment & Making Tax Digital (MTD)
| Length of delay | For tax year 2025-26 | For tax year 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 15 days | No charge | No charge |
| 16 to 30 days | 3% of the unpaid tax at that date | 4% of the unpaid tax at that date |
| 31 days or more | PLUS 3% of the unpaid tax at that date | PLUS 4% of the unpaid tax at that date |
| Ongoing penalty (applied daily from day 31) | 10% annual rate on the outstanding balance | 10% annual rate on the outstanding balance |
Interest charges if you pay late
You will have to pay interest on all outstanding amounts, including any unpaid penalties, until payment is received.
Record keeping penalties
Self Assessment & Making Tax Digital (MTD)
Coming soon.
Failure to notify penalties
Self Assessment & Making Tax Digital (MTD)
Coming soon.
Not sure if you have missed a deadline? Talk to us
