Payments on Account Calculator 2026

Payments on account (POA) are advance payments toward your next year's tax bill. They are each 50% of your previous year's self-assessment tax bill, paid on 31 January and 31 July. They apply if your tax bill exceeded £1,000 and less than 80% was collected via PAYE.

First payment: 31 January (same day as the balancing payment for the previous year). Second payment: 31 July. For 2024/25: first POA due 31 January 2026, second due 31 July 2026.

Yes — if you expect this year's tax bill to be lower, submit form SA303 (or use HMRC online) to reduce both POA payments to half your estimated bill. Warning: if your actual bill is higher than estimated, HMRC charges interest on the shortfall.

You only pay payments on account if your last year's tax bill was more than £1,000 AND less than 80% of your tax was collected at source via PAYE. If either condition is not met, you pay a balancing payment only.

If your actual tax bill is less than your total POA, HMRC will automatically refund the overpayment (or credit it against future tax). You can request a repayment via your HMRC online account.

In your first year of self-assessment, you pay the full year's tax as a balancing payment by 31 January, then start making POA for the next year. This means your first January bill can be 1.5× your first year's tax.

Yes — student loan repayments collected via self-assessment are also included in POA calculations if they formed part of your previous year's liability. However, Class 4 NI contributions are also included in the POA calculation.

Missing POA triggers HMRC interest from the due date. The 5% surcharges do not apply to POA — only to balancing payments. However, consistently missing POA can result in HMRC issuing a formal demand or enforcement action.