HMRC increases interest rates again

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on 2 August 2023 and voted 6-3 in favour of raising interest rates by 25 basis points to 5.25% in a move to further contain inflation. One member of the MPC voted to keep the rate at 5% whilst two others favoured an increase to 5.5%. This is the fourteenth consecutive time that the MPC has increased interest rates with rates now the highest they have been since 2008.

This means that the late payment interest rate applied to the main taxes and duties that HMRC charges interest on increases by 0.25% to 7.75%.

These changes will come into effect on:

• 14 August 2023 for quarterly instalment payments; and
• 22 August 2023 for non-quarterly instalments payments.

The repayment interest rates applied to the main taxes and duties that HMRC pays interest on will increase by 0.25% to 4.25% from 22 August 2023. The repayment rate is set at the Bank Rate minus 1%, with a 0.5% lower limit.