HMRC urges Self Assessment taxpayers to prepare for July payment deadline

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HMRC July payment deadline

Highlights

HMRC reminds taxpayers the second Self Assessment payment on account is due by midnight on 31 July, with payment plan options available.
Nearly 2 million taxpayers have used the HMRC app since January 2022 to pay, set reminders, and track their Self Assessment bill history.
From mid-July 2026, around 300,000 Self Assessment customers will see pre-populated Child Benefit data on their online tax returns to reduce errors.

Payment options and filing timeline

As reported by HM Revenue and Customs, taxpayers can make their second payment on account by midnight on 31 July and may also set up monthly or weekly payment plans to spread the cost. Any sums already paid through those plans count towards the next Self Assessment bill.

HMRC says payments can also be made through its app, which has been used by nearly 2 million Self Assessment taxpayers since its introduction in January 2022. The app allows users to pay towards their bill, set reminders and track payment history.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, says support is available for customers who find managing a Self Assessment bill difficult, including instant payment through the app and instalment plans. Payments on account are based on the previous year’s tax bill, with each instalment set at half of the amount owed last year.

Customers are required to make the two payments unless they owed less than £1,000 in tax last year, or had already paid more than 80% of the tax due outside Self Assessment, including through their tax code or deductions on savings interest. Taxpayers can pay these instalments before filing their Self Assessment return.

Support changes for Child Benefit charge

The deadline for submitting tax returns and paying any remaining tax due for the 2025 to 2026 tax year is 31 January 2027. HMRC is also introducing a change aimed at reducing errors for customers liable for the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

From mid-July 2026, around 300,000 Self Assessment customers are set to have their own or their partner’s Child Benefit payment information pre-populated on their online tax return. HMRC says the change is intended to make filing faster and help customers complete returns more accurately.

Our earlier report on the Labour leadership transition and its tax-policy implications explained how political uncertainty around a potential Andy Burnham government was raising expectations of early moves on wealth and asset taxation. We noted that advisers and higher-income households were concerned about further tax complexity and market fallout, even as Burnham’s team signalled interest in a more growth-focused, simplified approach.

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