The tax office uses a single bank account number for many types of taxes, so it’s crucial to ensure payments are made with the correct reference. The payment reference is the only way the tax office can allocate the payment to the correct account. Neither the name of the payer nor the company’s name can accurately identify the payment. Please avoid using general references like “tax payment” or “Self Assessment tax”, and certainly do not use any non-English text in the reference, as this will not assist the tax office. The payment reference is for the tax office, not for your own records.
The main bank account details for the tax office are:
- Sort code: 08 32 10
- Account number: 12001039
- Account name: HMRC Cumbernauld
This account should be used for Self Assessment tax, PAYE, and Corporation tax payments. Only the reference differs, which is why the correct reference is essential.
The payment reference should be structured as follows:
For Self Assessment tax:
Each taxpayer must use their unique tax account number (UTR number), which is a 10-digit number found on tax office notifications and the tax return header. An additional ‘K’ must be appended to this number.
Example: 1234567890K
The Self Assessment tax must be paid by 31 January. Those with an advance payment on account also due must pay the second instalment by 31 July each year.
For employers’ payroll liabilities (PAYE):
Payroll liabilities and CIS deductions must be transferred using the company’s PAYE Account reference number, which can be found on the employer’s registration documents. This reference is a combination of numbers and letters, totalling 13 characters. Most commonly, it starts with 120 or 475.
Example: 120PE12345678
Payroll liabilities must be settled by the 22nd of each month. Construction industry contractors must also pay the CIS deductions withheld from subcontractors to this account using this reference, along with their own payroll liabilities.
Corporation Tax:
Corporation tax is paid annually based on the company’s profits. The payment reference changes annually as the final characters indicate the year the payment relates to. It is structured using the company’s UTR tax reference followed by the suffix A0010*A, with the asterisk replaced by the corporation tax return number.
For example, in the first year: 1234567890A00101A, in the second year: 1234567890A00102A, etc. The first financial year can often be longer than a regular 12 months, so it’s common to have two returns and two payments in the first year, as the period covered by the corporation tax return cannot exceed 12 months.
Card payments are also possible for taxes activated on the HMRC online service if clients log into their personal or company accounts through the government gateway. The payment references can also be found here, and we are available to assist our clients if they are unsure before making a payment.
VAT payments:
VAT is the only tax with a dedicated bank account number:
- Sort code: 08 32 00
- Account number: 11963155
- Account name: HMRC VAT
In this case, the company’s VAT number is always used as the reference.
VAT payments are usually made quarterly, within 1 month and 7 days following the end of the quarter.
If you have any further questions regarding tax payments, please contact us using our provided contact details.
