Knowing your Corporation Tax payment dates is essential for keeping your company compliant and avoiding interest charges. The deadline for paying Corporation Tax is different from the deadline for filing the return, which often catches businesses out.
The Standard Payment Date
For most companies, Corporation Tax is due nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period. Notably, this payment date falls before the deadline for filing the Corporation Tax return itself, so the tax must often be paid before the return is submitted.
Large Companies and Instalments
Larger companies above a profit threshold must pay their Corporation Tax in quarterly instalments rather than in a single lump sum, with some instalments falling due during the accounting period. The very largest companies pay even earlier.
Avoiding Interest
Missing your Corporation Tax payment dates leads to interest from HMRC. Forecasting profits and setting funds aside in good time helps avoid unexpected liabilities.
How TaxDigit Can Help
Our Guildford-based team helps companies plan for their Corporation Tax payment dates and manage cash flow. Get in touch to stay ahead of deadlines.
Corporation Tax Payment Dates: UK-Wide Support from TaxDigit
Corporation Tax payment dates matter to companies right across the United Kingdom, not only those near our Guildford head office. TaxDigit advises clients UK-wide, from small owner-managed companies to larger groups paying by instalments, so that the right amount of tax is paid at the right time and costly interest is avoided.
Our chartered certified accountants forecast your liability, map out every key date for your accounting period and help you set aside funds in good time. We support clients remotely and on-site, wherever they are based in the UK.
How we help with Corporation Tax payment dates
- Confirming your exact Corporation Tax payment date for each accounting period
- Checking whether your company must pay by quarterly instalments
- Forecasting taxable profits so you can budget for the bill in advance
- Reconciling payments on account and avoiding underpayment interest
- Coordinating payment dates with your filing deadline and wider cash flow
Planning ahead is far easier when the figures are clear, which is why our wider guidance on business planning and disposal can also help you anticipate larger one-off liabilities. For the official position, HMRC sets out the rules in detail in its guidance: HMRC guidance on paying Corporation Tax.
Cash flow is where most payment problems begin, so we encourage clients to treat the Corporation Tax payment date as a fixed commitment rather than an afterthought. By reviewing management accounts through the year and adjusting profit forecasts as trading changes, you can put money aside steadily instead of facing a large bill at the last moment. For groups and growing companies that move into the instalment regime, early planning is even more important, because the first instalment can fall due well before the accounting period has even ended. We keep a clear timeline of every due date so nothing is missed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are Corporation Tax payment dates due?
For most companies, Corporation Tax is due nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period, which is usually before the deadline for filing the Corporation Tax return.
Do large companies have different Corporation Tax payment dates?
Yes. Companies above the profit threshold must pay by quarterly instalments, with some instalments falling due during the accounting period and the largest companies paying even earlier.
Can TaxDigit help if I am not based in Guildford?
Yes. We act for clients UK-wide and help manage Corporation Tax payment dates and cash flow remotely as well as from our Guildford office.