Paying high income child benefit charge when pay is variable (commission based)

QuestionFull

I’ve just had a baby and have applied for child benefit but we’ll have to pay some (if not all) of it back as my husband’s income tends to be high. However, his basic salary is around £24k and the rest is commission based, varying month by month, year by year. When we tried to sign up for the PAYE method of repaying, it asked for his income. Given we don’t know what his income will be, I’m wondering if we need to wait for the next tax year to pay it, but if we sign up in a year will we then end up paying this years and next at the same time?

I will phone HMRC but that’s a bit tricky at the moment so in the meantime wanted to ask here in case anyone has experience of this.

Thanks in advance

daveyjp

Husband can opt to complete a self assessment. For tax year 2026/27 he has until 31 January 2028 to submit, so plenty of time after receiving his P60.

To cover any clawback one option is to save the child benefit payments.

Rinse and repeat the process each year.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6669473/paying-high-income-child-benefit-charge-when-pay-is-variable-commission-based

No, you would end up paying this year's and the year after next at the same time i.e. during the 2028/29 tax year.

But you are only providing an estimate for this year, it doesn't matter if it's a little out because of commission, his actual (adjusted net) income will be checked after the end of the tax year and any adjustment, either tax overpaid by him or underpaid calculated then.