HMRC will be issuing a reminder to parents on higher incomes who opted at the beginning of the year to continue to receive child benefit that they need to registeer for self assessment by 5 October 2013 or risk incurring a penalty.

A letter will be going out this month to higher rate taxpayers pointing out that if their income is over £50,000 and they or their partner receive child benefit in 2012/13, they will need to complete a self assessment tax return for the 2012/2013 tax year.

The High Income Child Benefit Charge came into effect on 7 January 2013. The charge applies to an individual with an income of over £50,000 a year who either received child benefit payments after 7 January 2013, or who has a partner who received the benefit. The partner will the higher income is liable to pay the charge if both parents have income over £50,000.

People who stopped child benefit payments before 7 January 2013 do not need to take any further action

More details are available from HMRC.