If You do Not Pay Your Tax Bill

Overview 

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will take ‘enforcement action’ to get the money if you do not pay your tax bill. 

You may be able to avoid enforcement action if you contact HMRC (external link), for example if you’ve missed a payment or cannot pay on time. 

There are a number of enforcement actions HMRC can take to get the tax you owe. They can: 

If you do not pay your tax on time, you’ll probably have to pay interest on the outstanding amount. You may also have to pay a penalty or surcharge. 

How to avoid enforcement action 

Contact HMRC (external link) as soon as you can - you may be able to either: 

  • get more time to pay  

  • pay in instalments  

You must contact HMRC if you disagree with a tax decision (external link), for example the amount of tax you’re being asked to pay. 

See also: