What is a Tax Year Overview, and how do you download it?
People search for it under all sorts of names: tax year overview, tax overview, tax year account statement, HMRC overview document. They all mean the same page in your HMRC account. If a mortgage adviser has asked you for "SA302s and overviews", this is the second half of that request.
What a Tax Year Overview shows
It is short. For the tax year you pick, it lists:
- the tax year itself, for example 6 April 2024 to 5 April 2025;
- the amount due for that year, which is the Income Tax and National Insurance from your return;
- the payments HMRC has credited against that year, including any payments on account;
- the balance still owed, which should be £0.00 once the year is settled.
What it does not show is your income. There is no profit figure, no Personal Allowance and no tax bands. All of that lives on the SA302, which is the calculation. The overview is the account statement that sits behind it.
An example, so you know what to look for
Here is the shape of a settled overview for a sole trader whose 2025-26 bill was £7,691.80 (the same person as in our SA302 example). This is an illustration of the layout, not an HMRC document.
| Tax year 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Amount due for the year | £7,691.80 |
| Payments made | £7,691.80 |
| Total remaining | £0.00 |
The figure a lender cares about is the first one. It should equal the total tax due on the SA302 for the same year. If it does, the lender has two documents from two different parts of HMRC's system saying the same thing, which is the whole point of asking for both.
How to download your Tax Year Overview
- Sign in to your HMRC online account.
- Go to Self Assessment, then More details about your Self Assessment returns and payments.
- Choose the tax year you need and open its tax year overview.
- Print it, or use your browser's print option and pick "Save as PDF".
- Repeat for each year the lender has asked for.
GOV.UK says you cannot print it until 72 hours after you send your return, so if you filed yesterday, wait. It also says you can get an overview for any year, and that this works even when an accountant filed your return through commercial software. The overview always comes from your own HMRC account, not from the software. The step-by-step for both documents together is in how to get your SA302 from HMRC.
Why it might not match your SA302
Lenders read the two side by side, so a mismatch slows things down. The usual causes are dull ones:
- You printed it before paying. The amount due will be right but the balance will not be £0.00. Most lenders accept that if the amount due matches, but some ask why money is outstanding.
- The return was amended. An amendment changes the amount due. Print a fresh SA302 after the amendment so the two agree.
- Payments on account look odd. Payments you make in January and July can be credited to more than one year. That moves the "payments made" line around, but it never changes the amount due for the year.
- Different years. The tax year 2024-25 is the one you filed by 31 January 2026. It is easy to grab the neighbouring year by mistake.
When it is not there yet
If the year you want is missing, it is almost always because the return has not been processed. Online returns take up to 72 hours to show. Paper returns take much longer. If it is still missing after that, or your online account will not let you in, GOV.UK points you to the Self Assessment helpline.
The quick checklist before you send it
For every year the lender wants: one SA302 and one Tax Year Overview, both for the same tax year, with the total on the SA302 equal to the amount due on the overview. If you are applying for a mortgage, our guide to SA302s for a mortgage covers how many years lenders want and what happens if you cannot get the documents.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Tax Year Overview?
It is a statement from your HMRC online account showing the Self Assessment tax due for one tax year, the payments made towards it and the balance outstanding. It does not show your income. That is on the SA302 tax calculation.
Where do I find my Tax Year Overview?
Sign in to your HMRC online account, go to Self Assessment, then More details about your Self Assessment returns and payments, and choose the tax year. You can print it or save it as a PDF. It appears 72 hours after you file.
Is a Tax Year Overview the same as an SA302?
No. The SA302 shows how your tax was calculated from your income. The Tax Year Overview shows the tax due and paid according to HMRC's account records. Mortgage lenders normally ask for both, for each year.
Why does my Tax Year Overview show money outstanding?
Usually because you printed it before paying the bill for that year in full. The amount due should still match your SA302. Once you pay, the balance drops to £0.00.
Can I get a Tax Year Overview if my accountant filed my return?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can still print the Tax Year Overview from your own HMRC online account, even when the return went in through an accountant's commercial software.