CHAPS payments (short for “The Clearing House Automated Payment System”) are a payment system used for same-day transactions in the UK.

Because they are so fast and are guaranteed to arrive on the day you make them, CHAPS transfers are quite expensive, with banks usually charging as much as £35 for a transfer.

How to pay your Self Assessment tax bill using CHAPS:

You can use CHAPS payments to pay your tax bill quickly – for example, if you’re paying close to the tax return deadline.

You’ll need to use your payment reference when you pay. This is your 10-digit UTR number followed by the letter “K”.

Use one of the HMRC accounts below – your tax bill letter from HMRC will tell you which one to use: