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If you received both an Annual Declaration form and an Annual Review notice

The deadline for renewing

Return the Annual Declaration form - or give the helpline the information asked for - by 31 July. Your renewal pack will tell you if you have a different deadline.

If you can't provide details of actual income for the last tax year, still renew by 31 July using an estimate of your income.

You don't have to wait for the deadline - the sooner you renew your claim the better. This will help make sure you're getting all the money you're entitled to and that you're not being paid too much.

If you've given details of estimated income - deadline for providing actual income

This is usually 31 January but check Step C of your Annual Review notice to see if you've been given a different date.

If you miss the deadline for renewing

If the Tax Credit Office doesn't hear from you by the renewal deadline, they will:

• stop your tax credits payments
• send you a statement showing you whether you've been paid too much, or not enough, tax credits

You then have a further 30 days to provide the information asked for. If you don't provide the information within 30 days, you will usually have to make a new tax credits claim.

The Tax Credit Office will ask you to pay back any overpayments from the last tax year - and any payments made to you since 6 April.

If you received an Annual Review notice only

The deadline for renewing

The deadline is usually 31 July - but check what's shown on the first page of your renewal pack in case you've been given a different date.

The deadline only applies if you need to tell the Tax Credit Office of any information that has changed, is wrong, missing or incomplete.

Don't wait for the deadline if you need to get in touch with the Tax Credit Office. The sooner you do it, the better as this will help to make sure that you're getting all the money you're entitled to and that you're not being paid too much. If you're paid too much you usually have to pay it back.

If you miss the deadline

If the Tax Credit Office doesn't hear from you, they treat the information on your Annual Review notice as correct and complete for the whole of the period shown.

They then:

• make a final decision on your award for the previous year by checking the payments you received against the information shown about your circumstances
• renew your claim if you still qualify for tax credits

If they later find that you knew this information was not right or incomplete, you may be asked to pay back any tax credits overpaid and you might be asked to pay a penalty.

Your payments during the renewal period

Your tax credits payments continue during April, May and June to allow you time to renew. The payments will be provisional until such time as you renew your claim.

Contact the Tax Credit Office

If you need more help you can call the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900, or textphone 0845 300 3909 if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment (open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day).

If you're calling from overseas you can also contact the Tax Credit Office on +44 289 053 8192.

More useful links

• Tax credits: how and when to report changes