The government made tax credits available to reduce the amount of money some people pay in tax. The amount of tax credits that you receive depends on your circumstances, so it’s important that you keep this information up-to-date and report any changes to HMRC. If you receive tax credits then you’ll be sent a renewal pack each year.

Your renewal pack will confirm the deadline date for renewing your tax credits.

Updating and renewing your tax credits

If you receive Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, or both, you should report any change in your circumstances to HMRC within one month of them happening. This is to make sure that you receive the right amount of credit. You might also need to renew your tax credits each year, though for some people this will happen automatically.

How do I update my Tax Credits?

You can report any changes to your circumstances, renew your tax credits, and check your payment schedule using the HMRC app, or by signing into the Government Gateway service.

What do I do if my tax credit renewal pack is wrong?

HMRC sends out renewal packs to everyone receiving tax credit. If any of your details are wrong, you must let HMRC know as soon as possible using either the app or the online service. If your details are correct, and HMRC have not asked you to submit a renewal, you don’t need to do anything.

What happens if I don’t renew my tax credits on time?

If you don’t renew your tax credits on time, HMRC will stop making tax credit payments, and you may need to repay any credits you received from 6th April 2021 onwards. If you contact HMRC within 30 days then you may be able to restore your payments. If you miss that deadline, but you want to continue receiving tax credits, you’ll need to explain why there was a delay.

What if I don’t know what my income will be to renew my tax credits?

If you’re self-employed and have not yet submitted your Self Assessment tax return for 2020/21, you should make a reasonable and fair estimate, and submit your profit and loss report as part of your tax credit renewal.

You’ll then have until 31st January 2022 (the Self Assessment tax return deadline for 2020/21!) to confirm your income using the online management service. Just be aware that you won’t be able to claim any underpayments in the future, but you might have to repay any overpayments you receive.

Do I need to include my SEISS grant when renewing my tax credits?

You’ll need to include the total amount you received if you claimed any of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grants. The grants are taxable, so you’ll need to include SEISS payments on your Self Assessment tax return too.

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About The Author

Lee Murphy

MAAT and ICPA accountant, with a passion for making accountancy and bookkeeping accessible. Other interests include cloud-based software development for web and mobile access, keeping fit, reading, and entrepreneurship.

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