HMRC letters • Plain English

Self Assessment statement and balancing payment

The statement shows what you owe HMRC at the time it was sent: your balancing payment, any payments on account, anything left over from earlier years, and payments you have made (shown as CR). It is a bill and a record, not a penalty.

By The HandySums teamLast checked:

Who gets this

Anyone who has filed a Self Assessment return.

How to recognise it

  • Headed as a Self Assessment statement, with your 10-digit UTR.
  • Lists amounts due, payments on account and credits marked CR.
  • You get one after you file, or if your circumstances change. It can be online or posted.
  • If you file late or close to the deadline you may not get one before you have to pay. Use your tax calculation instead.

What to do

  1. Check the figures against your tax calculation and your own records, including every CIS deduction.
  2. Pay the balancing payment and the first payment on account by 31 January.
  3. Pay the second payment on account by 31 July.
  4. If a figure is wrong, tell HMRC which amount is wrong and what it should be.

By when

By midnight on 31 January for the balancing payment and first payment on account, and 31 July for the second payment on account.

What happens if you ignore it

  • Late payment penalties of 5% of the unpaid tax at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months.
  • Interest on whatever is unpaid.

Official GOV.UK pages

Not sure it is genuine?

Do not use any link or phone number printed in a message you are unsure about. Check the list of genuine HMRC letters, then find HMRC’s contact details on GOV.UK yourself. You never need to upload your letter to HandySums, and we would never ask.

CalculatorPayments on account calculatorYour 31 January and 31 July payments, the balancing payment, and whether CIS means you owe none.CalculatorHow much to set aside from each jobHow much to put aside from each invoice, week or month for Income Tax and Class 4 NI, after any CIS.CalculatorEstimate your CIS refund from your statementsEnter each monthly CIS statement and see your total labour, deductions and materials, a likely refund, and which tax years you can still claim.

Sources and review

Last checked: 1 November 2026. What this letter is, the deadlines and the penalties described on this page. Written and checked by the HandySums team against the GOV.UK pages below. HandySums is independent and not an accountancy firm — see how we check our sums.

A guide, not tax advice. Results and explanations are a guide and HMRC has the final say. Always follow the dates and instructions on your own letter, and check with HMRC or a qualified accountant if unsure.