Permanent increase to penalty interest rates
The new tax year saw a change to the way interest on late paid taxes is calculated. What’s changed and what are the new charges?
Prior to 2025/26, interest was charged at the Bank of England base rate plus 2.5% on most underpaid taxes. In a push for unpaid tax bills to be settled, it was announced at the 2024 Autumn Budget that this would change to the base rate plus 4% from 6 April 2025. The government says the rate of late payment interest encourages prompt payment and ensures fairness for those who pay their tax on time.
From 6 April 2025 the following rates apply:
- Late corporation tax paid quarterly - 7%
- Late payment interest on other taxes - 8.5%
There is no corresponding change to the way repayment interest rates are calculated, i.e. the base rate minus 1%, with a lower limit of 0.5%.
Related Topics
-
Company motorbikes - a two-wheeled tax trap?
You’ve taken on a youngster as a general assistant for your business. The role includes making local deliveries for which your firm provides a motorbike. This could trigger unexpected tax and NI charges. What steps can you take to avoid them?
-
Deadline to pay Class 1B NI
-
Do you need to pay tax on loyalty points and cashback?
You’ve been making business purchases on your personal credit card and reaping the rewards in the form of airmiles and cashback. What, if anything, do you need to do to keep on the right side of HMRC?