HMRC app hits 65,000 users for self assessment tax bills

Tens of thousands of customers are benefitting from easier access to managing their tax obligations through the HMRC app -  with nearly £67 million-worth of self assessment tax bills having been paid through the app since April 2022. 

According to the revenue body, 65,000 taxpayers have settled their self-assessment bills this way over the period. 

In December 2022, 14,170 customers paid via the app, representing the highest number of app payments in one month since the facility was launched in February 2022.

The latest figures indicate that customers are placing more trust in the HMRC app, due in large part to the simplicity of the design.

The app is a quick and secure way for users to view their National Insurance number, Unique Taxpayer Reference or make a payment on their personal device - and it only takes 60 seconds to pay via the app, according to the revenue body.

When HMRC introduced its first app in 2013, it was primarily designed to be a tax calculator. In 2016, it was relaunched as an online service for users to better manage their tax obligations and has since undergone several iterations; including a feature that enables users to pay their self assessment taxes using open banking technology.

One of the key benefits of the app is that it allows users to log in using a PIN or the smartphone’s biometric identification, after the account has been verified through the Government Gateway portal.

The app also gives customers who are unable to pay what they owe in full the option to set up a payment plan, allowing them to spread the cost over monthly instalments. Since April 2022, 45,600 self-assessment customers have set up a time-to-pay arrangement. 

“We want to help self assessment customers meet their obligations and HMRC offers a range of options to help customers pay their tax return bill,”  Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said.