Your tax estimate

What this is

The tax estimate shows HMRC’s in-year estimate of your Income Tax and National Insurance for the selected tax year. HMRC works it out from the information it already holds, mainly the quarterly updates you have sent. aligned.tax asks HMRC for it and shows the result; the figures are HMRC’s, not aligned.tax’s.

What you see on screen

Open Tax estimate in the sidebar. Accountants see the same view on the Estimate tab of a client’s page.

• Your tax estimate, with “See HMRC’s latest estimate using the information it holds for this tax year.” and a Get a new estimate button
• This is an estimate, not a bill. It is not a payment request, any separate payments already due are unchanged, and the figures can change when HMRC receives more information or when the tax year is finalised
• Current estimate: “HMRC position so far”, the amount, when it was calculated, and the date HMRC’s figures run to (“This estimate only uses information HMRC received about income and expenses up to …”). Refresh reloads the list, and is unavailable while the list is loading
• Previous estimates: earlier results, each with a View estimate button

Opening an estimate shows HMRC calculation details: the estimated year-end amount, the current HMRC position and how HMRC worked out the estimate, by income, allowances and tax bands.

Where HMRC has applied something that is easy to miss in the totals, a short Included in these figures list appears under the allowances and tax breakdown. It names only what HMRC returned for the year, such as Marriage Allowance transferred in or out, or Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) deductions already taken off your tax.

How to get an estimate

1. Make sure the tax year selector shows the year you want.
2. Open Tax estimate (or a client’s Estimate tab).
3. Click Get a new estimate. HMRC usually takes a few seconds. When the estimate is ready, its breakdown opens.
4. Later, open any estimate from Current estimate or Previous estimates to see its breakdown again.

Opening an estimate from a link

A link can point at one particular estimate. The clearest example is View your tax calculation on the submitted screen after you send a quarterly update: it asks HMRC for a fresh estimate and then opens that one here.

A link like this names the tax year and the person it was made for, so opening it switches the tax year selector to that year and shows that estimate straight away. The link details are then dropped from the address, which leaves you free to change the year or the client afterwards without being pulled back.

Things to know

• It is only as complete as HMRC’s information. An estimate made before you send a quarter does not include that quarter. Get a new estimate after each submission.
• It needs a live HMRC connection. aligned.tax asks HMRC for your estimates, and for the breakdown of a single estimate, only once it has confirmed that this account is still connected to HMRC. If the connection has lapsed, use Reconnect to HMRC and then open the page again.
• It is not a bill or a final figure. Your actual liability is settled at year end; the Final Declaration is not available in aligned.tax yet.
• Not everyone can request one. People with view-only access, such as a reviewer, can see estimates but only the account owner or their agent can request a new one.
• Supporting agents cannot see estimates at all. HMRC does not let a supporting agent view tax calculations, so for a client you act for as a supporting agent the page shows “Supporting agents cannot view tax calculations. Please contact the main agent for calculation details.” in place of the estimates. Nothing loads and no estimate can be requested. Ask the main agent for the figures.
• HMRC may not return an amount. If HMRC did not say what date its figures cover, the page shows that the amount is unavailable rather than guessing.

If something goes wrong

HMRC could not prepare the estimate. The page shows HMRC’s reason when HMRC gives one, or “HMRC could not prepare this estimate.” Often HMRC does not yet hold enough information for the year, for example before the first quarterly update. Submit a quarter, then try again.

“This link is for a different client. Choose that client to open it.” The link was made for another client, so the estimate is not shown. Switch to that client and open the link again.

“This link is for the 2026-27 tax year, which is not available here.” The link names a tax year this account cannot see, so there is nothing to open. The message names the year the link asked for.

The list or the breakdown stays as a placeholder. aligned.tax waits until it has confirmed your HMRC connection before it asks HMRC for anything, so the list and the breakdown can show a loading placeholder for a moment first. If it does not fill in, check that you are still connected to HMRC using Reconnect to HMRC, then reload the page.

HMRC is still preparing the figures. You can leave the page and check again shortly; the estimate appears under Current estimate when it is ready. If you asked from the submitted screen after a quarterly update, that screen shows Check it on your tax estimate instead.

No estimate yet. Nobody has requested one for this tax year. If you can, click Get a new estimate; otherwise ask the account owner or their agent.