HIBC charge

anoukis

I would like to opt out of Child Benefit payments for the next tax year, which starts this April. The online form asks this question: 'When do you want to opt out of receiving Child Benefit payment? Date must be today or a future date.'
Should I enter 6 April 2026 which is the first day of the next tax year? I want to avoid filling out a tax return for the next tax year (I have been doing so to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge, as my income is well over £60K).

Yamor

Putting 06/04/26 is fine.

The election has effect from the Monday after the election is treated as made, which in this case would be 06/04/26, as that is a Monday.

In any event, a week is only treated as part of a particular tax year for HICBC purposes if the Monday of that week is in the tax year, so even had 06/04/26 not been a Monday, you'd have been fine putting that date down.

If you don't opt out, payments should continue until the end of Aug 2026 (technically, until the end of the week which contains within it the last day of August).