High Income Child Benefit Charge
Opt out of Child Benefit payments
If you opt out of receiving payments, you are still registered for Child Benefit but you do not receive the payment.
You would not have to pay the tax charge and you would still get:
- National Insurance credits, which count towards your state pension
- a National Insurance number for your child, without having them to apply shortly before they turn 16 years old
How to opt out
To opt out of Child Benefit payments, you can either:
You’ll need to sign in to use the online service or fill in the online form. If you do not already have sign in details, you’ll be able to create them.
You can also contact the Child Benefit Office by phone or post to opt out.
You cannot use the online service or the online form if you’re an appointee or authorised agent.
You cannot opt out of Child Benefit payments if you’re using them to pay back an overpayment or to pay back certain other benefits from another country.
Responsibilities after you opt out of Child Benefit payments
You must pay any tax charge owed for each tax year up to the date your Child Benefit payments stop.
Use the Child Benefit tax calculator to get an estimate of how much you may owe each tax year.
Even after you opt out of payments, you must report any changes in your family life that affect your entitlement to Child Benefit.