Self Assessment Overpayment: How to Get a Refund
Overpayments commonly occur when your payments on account were based on a higher previous year's bill but your actual tax liability turned out lower. HMRC refunds the difference automatically after you file your return.
How Overpayment Happens
- Your income dropped compared to the previous year
- You reduced payments on account but still overpaid
- You claimed additional expenses or reliefs you missed previously
- Your tax code collected more tax than needed
Getting Your Refund
Once your Self Assessment return is processed and shows an overpayment:
- HMRC automatically issues a refund
- If your bank details are on file, the refund is paid directly (usually within 5 working days)
- Otherwise, HMRC sends a cheque
Checking Your Refund Status
Log in to your HMRC online account to see the status of any pending refunds. If it has been more than 4 weeks since filing, contact HMRC.
Applying the Overpayment
Instead of a refund, you can ask HMRC to apply the overpayment against:
- Next year's payments on account
- Any other tax liability
Accounted helps you track payments and refunds alongside your tax calculations.
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Tax & Compliance Specialists
Our tax specialists have decades of combined experience in UK sole trader and small business taxation, MTD compliance, and HMRC submissions. All content is reviewed against current HMRC guidance before publication and updated quarterly to reflect legislative changes.
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