VCM51060 | VCT: investor income tax reliefs: ‘front-end’ income tax relief: reducing in-year Self-Assessment payments on account

If you make an annual Self-Assessment (SA) return then you cannot make an in-year claim for ‘Front-end’ income tax relief. Your claim will reduce the tax payable which ranks after various other reliefs and allowances. The amount of relief cannot be known for certain until after the end of the tax year. For this reason TMA70/S42(1A) excludes these reliefs from in-year claims, except where a claim is made for the relief to be given through a tax code (see VCM51070).

For any claims made for income tax relief to be given against SA payments on account, HMRC will reduce the SA payments on account, see SAM1010. If the claim proves to be excessive when the SA return is received, interest will be charged from the relevant due dates.

Where the investor has a PAYE tax code then TMA70/S42 allows an in-year claim for the relief to be included in their code number (see VCM51070). However the relief actually due will only be established on submission of the SA return at the end of the year.

HMRC officers must not give effect to in-year claims for this relief by using the free standing credit functionality.