HMRC Time to Pay proposal letter template
HMRC agrees most Time to Pay arrangements by phone, so the letter below is your preparation and your written record, not the negotiation itself. What HMRC wants to see is the same either way: a short factual explanation of why the arrears arose, evidence of what the company can actually afford each month (income and spending, plus any savings that could reduce the debt), and a realistic offer you will not miss. Per gov.uk, HMRC will ask whether you can pay in full, how much you can repay monthly, and whether other taxes are owed. The company payment-problem lines are Corporation Tax 0300 200 3840, VAT 0300 200 3831 and employers' PAYE 0300 200 3819. Offer only what the company can sustain: a failed plan is worse than a slower one. This is information, not advice; if the arrears are part of wider difficulty, speak to a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner first. gov.uk, difficulties paying HMRC (accessed 27 July 2026)
Download this template (.md, free, no email needed) or copy it from the page below.
What HMRC wants to see
- The cause, briefly and factually. What happened, when, and why it will not simply repeat. Two or three sentences, no essay.
- Affordability with evidence. An income and expenditure summary that supports the monthly figure. Gov.uk confirms HMRC will ask about income, spending and savings or investments. Run the numbers first with the TTP affordability calculator.
- A realistic offer. A monthly amount and a total duration, with the first payment date and Direct Debit. Do not overstate what you can pay to get a plan agreed.
- Compliance going forward. Returns up to date (or a date they will be), and current taxes paid as they fall due while the arrears clear.
The letter
[Company name]
[Registered office address]
Company number: [number]
[Tax reference: UTR / VAT number / PAYE reference]
[Date]
HM Revenue and Customs
[Address from your latest HMRC correspondence]
Dear Sir or Madam,
Re: [Company name], [tax reference]. Proposal for a Time to Pay arrangement
I am a director of [Company name]. The company currently owes [amount] in [Corporation Tax / VAT / PAYE], due on [date(s)]. We are writing to propose a Time to Pay arrangement, and to record the proposal we [have made / intend to make] by telephone.
Why the arrears arose. [Two or three factual sentences. For example: the loss of a major customer in [month], a bad debt of [amount], or a seasonal fall in trade. State what happened and when.]
What has changed. [One or two sentences on why the position is now recoverable. For example: costs reduced by [amount] per month from [date]; a new contract starting [date].]
Our proposal. Based on the attached income and expenditure summary, the company can afford to pay [amount] per month. We propose to clear the arrears over [number] months, with the first payment on [date], by Direct Debit. All returns are up to date [or: the outstanding return for [period] will be filed by [date]], and we will keep current liabilities paid as they fall due.
We can provide management accounts, bank statements and cash-flow forecasts on request. Please contact me on [phone] or [email].
Yours faithfully,
[Name]
Director, [Company name]
Enclosed: income and expenditure summary [and cash-flow forecast]
Before you send or call
- Only offer what the company can genuinely afford every month. HMRC would rather have a plan that holds than a bigger number that fails.
- Do not hide other tax debts. Gov.uk confirms HMRC will ask whether you owe anything else, and a plan built on a partial picture collapses.
- If no realistic offer exists, treat that as an insolvency signal, not a negotiating problem, and speak to a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner. See also our Time to Pay guide and HMRC debt hub.
Sources: gov.uk, set up a payment plan and gov.uk, HMRC payment problems contact, both accessed 27 July 2026. Phone numbers and processes change; check gov.uk before calling. This page is general information, not tax or insolvency advice.
Time to Pay letter: common questions
Do I send HMRC a letter or phone them for Time to Pay?
Phone. Most Time to Pay arrangements are agreed on HMRC's payment-problem lines, and some can be set up online if you meet HMRC's current conditions. Use the letter to prepare your case before the call and as a written record of the proposal you made. The current numbers for companies (verified July 2026): Corporation Tax 0300 200 3840, VAT 0300 200 3831, employers' PAYE 0300 200 3819, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
What will HMRC ask me on the call?
Per gov.uk: whether you can pay in full, how much you can repay each month, whether you owe other taxes, the company's income and spending, and any savings or investments that could reduce the debt. Work these answers out before you call, and use our Time to Pay affordability calculator to sense-check the monthly figure.
What if the company cannot afford any realistic offer?
Then the problem is not negotiation, it is insolvency. If there is no monthly figure the company can genuinely sustain, a Time to Pay plan will fail and the arrears will come back with less goodwill. That is the point to speak to a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner about the company's options rather than promising HMRC money that is not there.
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