If you make payments on account towards your Self Assessment tax bill, please note that your second payment for this year is due by midnight on 31 July.

What is a payment on account?

Payments on account are advance payments towards your next tax bill, based on what you owed the previous year. They're paid in two instalments - one by 31 January and one by 31 July - with each instalment usually equal to half of your last tax bill.

You'll need to make these payments unless:

• the tax you owed last year wasless than £1,000, or
• you paid more than 80% of your tax outside of Self Assessment (for example, through your tax code)

How to check what you owe

You can check the amount due at any time:

1. Sign in to your online Self Assessment account
2. Select the option to view your latest Self Assessment return
3. Select "View statements"

This will show you any payments on account already made, along with what's due for 31 July. If you filed a paper return, the same information will be on your latest Self Assessment statement.

What if your bill this year is different?

If you expect to earn less this year and think your tax bill will be lower, you may be able to ask HMRC to reduce your payments on account. It's worth being cautious here, though: if your payments on account are reduced too far and your actual bill turns out higher than expected, HMRC will charge interest on the shortfall. Ifyou're unsure whether a reduction is right for you, this is exactly the kind ofthing we're happy to talk through together.

We're here to help

If you have any questions about your payment on account, aren't sure how much you owe, or want to talk through whether a reduction might apply to you, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the team. We're always happy to help you stay on top of your obligations and avoid any last-minute surprises.

_{This is published for the information of clients. It provides only an overview of the regulations in force at the date of publication, and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed legislation or seeking professional advice. Therefore, no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material contained in this publication can be accepted by the authors or the firm.}