HMRC to reduce late payment interest
Late payment interest rates on underpaid taxes will soon decrease again due to the recent reduction in the Bank of England’s base rate. What are the new charges?

On 7 November 2024 an announcement confirmed a reduction in the Bank of England base rate to 4.75% from 5.0%. As HMRC’s late payment and repayment interest rates are linked to the base rate, it has confirmed that they will also come down.
From 18 November 2024 the following rates will apply:
- Late corporation tax paid quarterly – 5.75%
- Interest on overpaid corporation tax – 4.5%
From 26 November, the rates for other taxes will be:
- Late payment interest – 6.75%
- Interest on overpaid tax – 3.75%
Penalty interest can be avoided by paying your tax bill on time. As an added bonus to anyone expecting to receive interest on overpaid taxes, note that such interest is free from income tax.
Related Topics
-
When will you have to register your new business for MTD?
The timetable for mandatory use of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment (MTD ITSA) by existing businesses is well established. But when must you use MTD ITSA if you start a new business or create a new income stream?
-
EU law change for virtual events: how will it affect you?
Your business organises live events online, charging delegates a fee to attend. What are the rules about charging VAT and what changes took place on 1 January 2025 that will affect you if EU delegates attend your sessions?
-
Forthcoming changes to statutory sick pay
According to statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the rate of sickness absence fell to an average of 4.4 working days lost per worker in 2024, down from 4.9 days in 2023. Whilst this is good news for employers, forthcoming changes to statutory sick pay (SSP) are less good news. What do you need to know?