Your Self Assessment statement is HMRC’s running account of what you owe and what you have paid: it starts from the balance on your last statement, lists each new charge, payment and adjustment, and ends with an amount to pay or a credit marked CR. It is different from the SA302 tax calculation, which shows how the tax for one year was worked out but leaves out payments on account, earlier debts, interest and penalties.

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What is the Self Assessment statement and how is it different from the tax calculation?

HMRC’s Self Assessment Manual lists the statement among its forms as SA300, the statement of account. GOV.UK explains that after you file a return you receive two documents. The statement, which GOV.UK also calls your bill, summarises what you owe and the payments you have made. The tax calculation, form SA302, summarises the tax for the year and how HMRC worked it out.

The difference is important when you decide how much to pay. GOV.UK says the SA302 does not include payments on account you have made, payments into a Budget Payment Plan, or other outstanding amounts such as unpaid tax or penalties. The statement does. If the two documents show different figures, that is usually why.

SAM130001 describes the statement as showing the current position on the taxpayer record. Most people now receive the Simple Statement layout introduced in August 2006. HMRC still issues the older Open Item layout in a small number of cases, for example where the taxpayer asks for it or the accounting position is very complex (SAM130040).

When will HMRC send me a statement?

GOV.UK says you get a statement after you file your return or if your circumstances change, either online or by post. If you file late or close to the deadline, the statement may not arrive before your payment is due, and you will need to check your online account or use your tax calculation instead. GOV.UK also says that, if you file online, you cannot view the calculation for up to 72 hours after submitting, so you should save a copy before you submit if a payment is due in that window.

HMRC’s own processing guidance at SAM121290 notes that the last bulk issue of statements before the 31 January deadline starts in the first week of December, so a return captured after that may produce only a tax calculation before January.

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What does each part of the statement show?

SAM130040 and SAM132030 set out the Simple Statement layout:

  • Header. Your name and address, Unique Taxpayer Reference, the statement number, the statement date and the processing office. Statements are numbered in sequence, so a gap tells you one is missing.
  • Balance brought forward. The first line carries over the balance from your previous statement, with CR after it if it was a credit.
  • Transactions since the last statement. Debits appear in the Tax Due column and credits in the Credits column. Several entries on the same date are grouped and subtotalled.
  • Amounts becoming due. Charges falling due within 45 days of the statement date are included. HMRC can extend this, and in June and December it can be as many as 72 days, so a December statement normally already shows the 31 January amounts.
  • Amount to pay. The final line gives the account balance, again with CR if HMRC owes you money. A summary box on the first page breaks down what is outstanding and what is shortly due.
  • Payslip. One is printed only where something is outstanding or shortly becoming due (SAM130070).

What do the charge lines mean?

SAM132050 lists the wording HMRC uses for charges. The common ones are:

Wording on the statement What it is
Balancing payment due for year YY/YY The tax for that year less payments on account and tax deducted at source
1st or 2nd payment on account due for year YY/YY An advance payment towards the following year’s bill
Interest One summarised figure for late payment interest and accruing interest since the last statement
Late Filing Fixed Penalty for YY/YY The initial penalty for a late return
Daily Penalty for YY/YY Late filing daily penalties
6 or 12 month late filing penalty for YY/YY The tax geared late filing penalties
30 days, 6 months or 12 months late payment penalty for YY/YY Late payment penalties
Amount no longer included in PAYE code An underpayment HMRC planned to collect through your tax code but now wants paid directly
Determination for tax year YY/YY An estimate HMRC made because a return was not filed

What do the credits and adjustments mean?

SAM132051 and SAM132053 give the credit and adjustment wording. A payment you made appears as a payment with a thank you. Other credits include “Credit transferred in”, “Overpayment from YY/YY return” where an earlier year produced a refund due, and “Repayment supplement”, which is interest HMRC pays you. Adjustments include “Claim to reduce 1st / 2nd payment on account for YY/YY” after a claim on form SA303 or online, “Adjustment to (charge description)” where a charge has been changed, and wording showing that an amount has been included in your PAYE code for a later year.

If you use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, GOV.UK says your statement may show an amount as “transferred to digital”. That amount has moved to your Making Tax Digital account and is payable there, so it is not a payment or a cancellation.

How do balancing payments and payments on account fit together?

Under section 59A of the Taxes Management Act 1970 the two payments on account are due on 31 January in the tax year and 31 July after it, each normally half of the previous year’s liability less tax deducted at source. GOV.UK says you do not need to make them if last year’s bill was less than £1,000 or more than 80% of your tax was collected at source. Section 59B then makes the balance payable, normally on 31 January after the tax year. The rules are explained in Self Assessment payments on account.

Illustration only. Suppose your tax for 2025 to 2026 is £6,000 and you paid two payments on account of £2,000 each. A statement issued in December 2026 would show:

Line Amount
Balancing payment due for year 25/26 (£6,000 less £4,000) £2,000
1st payment on account due for year 26/27 (half of £6,000) £3,000
Amount to pay by 31 January 2027 £5,000

The second payment on account of £3,000 would appear on a later statement as due by 31 July 2027. People are often surprised by the January figure because it combines last year’s shortfall with the first instalment for this year.

How are interest and penalties shown?

Interest on a Simple Statement is one total for the period since the last statement (SAM132050). GOV.UK says HMRC’s late payment interest rate is the Bank of England base rate plus 4% from 6 April 2025, and the rate has been 7.75% since 9 January 2026. The mechanics are in HMRC late payment interest.

Late payment penalties are separate. SAM61250 says they apply to balancing payments, determinations, amendments and assessments, but not to interest, late filing penalties or payments on account. A penalty of 5% of the unpaid tax arises 30 days after the due date, another 5% at 30 days plus 5 months and a third at 30 days plus 11 months. Each appears as its own charge line and is notified on form SA370. You can appeal within 30 days of the penalty notice, for example on the grounds of reasonable excuse.

SAM133010 lists the messages printed at the foot of the statement. “Interest is running on the amount to pay. Please pay it now.” means something is already overdue. A message about amounts shown as “suspended” means HMRC has agreed to stand over a sum, often during an appeal, and interest may still be charged from the original due date if it becomes payable. Where the amount is small, the statement may tell you it can be added to the next one, though interest may still apply.

What should I do if the statement looks wrong?

  • Check that each payment you made appears as a credit. A missing payment is often one made with the wrong reference.
  • Look for “Amount no longer included in PAYE code”. If HMRC could not collect an underpayment through your code, it moves back to the statement.
  • Compare the balancing payment with your SA302. A difference usually means the statement reflects payments on account, a later amendment or an earlier debt.
  • If you cannot pay, contact HMRC before the due date about a Time to Pay arrangement.

What mistakes do people make with their statement?

  • Paying the SA302 figure. It ignores the first payment on account for the next year and any older debt.
  • Reading CR as a debt. CR means a credit in your favour.
  • Waiting for a statement before paying. GOV.UK says it may not arrive in time if you file late in the season; the deadline does not move.
  • Ignoring penalty lines. Penalties must be paid within 30 days of the notice, and an appeal must be made within 30 days too. See the Self Assessment deadlines and penalties guide.
  • Assuming a late return is late only for penalties. The date HMRC treats a return as filed also affects your bill and HMRC’s enquiry window; see when a tax return counts as filed.

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Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.