Pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance
Pay at your bank or building society
Pay at a branch by cash or cheque. You’ll need the payslip HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sent with your payment request.
Make your cheque payable to ‘HM Revenue and Customs only’.
Write your 18-digit reference number on the back of your cheque. You’ll find the reference number on the payslip provided by HMRC.
If you do not have an 18-digit reference number, you can:
- pay using the Check your State Pension forecast service, or use it to get a reference number
- ask HMRC for your reference number online
- phone the National Insurance enquiries line if you cannot ask HMRC online
If you use the wrong reference number your payment may be delayed or used to pay a different tax bill that you owe. If your payment has paid the wrong tax bill, you can contact National Insurance enquiries to ask for your payment to be moved.
HMRC will accept your payment on the date you make it, and not the date it reaches HMRC’s account, if you pay between Monday and Friday.
After you’ve paid
Your National Insurance record and personal tax account will be updated after HMRC gets the payment. This can take up to 8 weeks.