Taxes (Interest Rate) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Summary
The UK Treasury has amended the Taxes (Interest Rate) Regulations 1989 to set new interest rates for unpaid and overpaid domestic and multinational top-up taxes. The rate for unpaid tax is set at 7.75% per annum, while the rate for overpaid tax is 2.75% per annum, with provisions for adjustments based on a reference rate.
What changed
The UK Treasury has issued the Taxes (Interest Rate) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, amending the Taxes (Interest Rate) Regulations 1989. These new regulations establish specific interest rates for domestic and multinational top-up taxes. The applicable rate for unpaid top-up tax is set at 7.75% per annum, and for overpaid top-up tax, it is 2.75% per annum. The regulations also include provisions for adjusting these rates based on a reference rate after the operative date of April 17, 2026.
These changes directly impact companies liable for domestic or multinational top-up tax, particularly concerning the calculation of interest on underpayments or overpayments. Compliance officers should review their tax provisioning and interest calculations to ensure alignment with the new rates. The regulations come into force on April 17, 2026, and may require adjustments to financial reporting and tax payment processes.
What to do next
- Review and update internal tax calculation processes for domestic and multinational top-up tax.
- Ensure interest on unpaid and overpaid top-up tax amounts reflects the new rates of 7.75% and 2.75% respectively.
- Monitor for any adjustments to these rates based on the reference rate formula provided in the regulations.
Source document (simplified)
Status:
This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.
Statutory Instruments
2026 No. 347
DOMESTIC TOP-UP TAX
MULTINATIONAL TOP-UP TAX
The Taxes (Interest Rate) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Made
24th March 2026
Laid before the House of Commons
26th March 2026
Coming into force
17th April 2026
The Treasury make these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 178(1), (2)(x) and (y) and (3)(a) to (c), (e) and (f) of the Finance Act 1989(1).
Citation and commencement
- These Regulations may be cited as the Taxes (Interest Rate) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 and come into force on 17th April 2026.
Amendment of the Taxes (Interest Rate) Regulations 1989
- —(1) The Taxes (Interest Rate) Regulations 1989(2) are amended as follows.
(2) After regulation 3ZE, insert—
Applicable rate of interest on unpaid multinational top-up tax and domestic top-up tax
3ZF. — (1) For the purposes of paragraph 33 of Schedule 14 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 (3), with respect to unpaid multinational top-up tax (4) and domestic top-up tax (5), the rate applicable under section 178 shall, subject to paragraph (2), be 7.75% per annum.
(2) Where on a reference date after 17th April 2026 the reference rate found on that date differs from the established rate, the rate applicable under section 178 for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (1) shall, on and after the next operative date, be the percentage per annum found by applying the formula specified in paragraph (3).
(3) The formula specified in this paragraph is—
where RR is the reference rate referred to in paragraph (2).
Applicable rate of interest on overpaid multinational top-up tax and domestic top-up tax
3ZG. — (1) For the purposes of paragraph 33A of Schedule 14 to the Finance Act (No. 2) 2023 (6), with respect to overpaid multinational top-up tax and domestic top-up tax (7), the rate applicable under section 178 shall, subject to paragraph (2), be 2.75% per annum.
(2) Where on a reference date after 17th April 2026 the reference rate found on that date differs from the established rate, the rate applicable under section 178 for the purposes mentioned in paragraph (1) shall, on and after the next operative date, be the higher of—
(a) 0.5% per annum, and
(b) the percentage per annum found by applying the formula specified in paragraph (3).
(3) The formula specified in this paragraph is—
where RR is the reference rate referred to in paragraph (2). ”.
Taiwo Owatemi
Stephen Morgan
Two of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury
24th March 2026
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Taxes (Interest Rate) Regulations 1989/1297 (“ 1989 Regulations ”). The 1989 regulations specify rates of interest for the purposes of the enactments specified in section 178(2) of the Finance Act 1989 (c. 26). The amendments made by these Regulations specify the applicable rates of interest for unpaid and overpaid amounts of multinational top-tax and domestic top-up tax.
Multinational top-up tax was introduced by Part 3 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 (c. 30).
Domestic top-up tax was introduced by Part 4 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 (c. 30).
Regulation 2 inserts new regulations 3ZF and 3ZG which specify the interest rate applicable under section 178 of the Finance Act 1989 (c. 26) in relation to unpaid and overpaid multinational top-up tax and domestic top-up tax.
A Tax Information and Impact Note covering this instrument was published on 15th March 2023 entitled ‘Multinational top-up tax and Domestic top-up tax: UK adoption of OECD Pillar 2’ alongside the Autumn Finance Bill 2023, and is available on the government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-information-and-impact-notes-tiins. It remains an accurate summary of the impacts that apply to this instrument.
(1) 1989 c. 26. Section 178(2)(x) was added by paragraph 68(2) of schedule 14 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 c. 30 and was amended by paragraph 52 of Schedule 8 to the Finance Act 2026 c. 11. Section 178(3)(f) was amended by section 88(2)(b) of the Finance Act 2019 c. 1.
(2) S.I. 1989/1297; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2008/3234, 2009/2032.
(3) 2023 c. 30.
(4) Multinational top-up tax is defined in section 121 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023.
(5) Domestic top-up tax is defined in section 265 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023. Paragraph 4 of Schedule 18 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 applies paragraph 33 of Schedule 14 to domestic top-up tax.
(6) Paragraph 33A was inserted into Schedule 14 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 by paragraph 37(3) of Schedule 12 to the Finance Act 2024.
(7) Paragraph 4 of Schedule 18 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 applies paragraph 33A of Schedule 14 to the Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 to domestic top-up tax.
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