Question about tax on savings interest

[bootswithoutsole]

If your savings earn more in interest than HMRC's annual interest allowance, but you don't normally do a tax return because you're a basic rate tax payer, do you have to be pro-active about it, or can you wait for HMRC to get in touch to tell you to do self assessment?

I have dividends over the allowance and inform them online. They then adjust my tax code. Reading this though, it looks like HMRC calculate it from what the banks tell them.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-tax-free-interest-on-savings

I just got a letter last week telling me I haven't paid enough tax due to interest on some savings. They are just adjusting my tax code and I have gone online to declare it for the upcoming year.

More in interest than the personal savings allowance (£1000) or more than £10,000 interest? My reading was that you don’t need to do anything if <£10,000 in interest and you’re in employment, as it will be sorted out through PAYE next year.

If you go on the HMRC site, there's a simple questionnaire on there for 'do I need to complete a tax return'. Just answer the questions and it will give you a definitive answer.

You have to earn quite a lot of interest before a tax return kicks in, as a lot is sorted through your tax code. I think it's £10k in interest, but don't quote me on that!

Like @usernotfound0000 I received a letter saying I had not paid enough tax. I had reported all of my savings interest for the 23/24 tax year, but they had double counted interest from my bank, so I'm assuming that the bank reported it separately.

Watch out if you use a savings platform, like Active Savings on Hargreaves Lansdown, as the interest is not normally declared to HMRC either by HL or the banks, as there isn't a direct link with the customer, so you o have to declare it. HL provide a statement and you can send that to HMRC. I couldn't find a way to do it online, but my experience is that they tend to respond to letters quite quickly. (Don't bother ringing - I've never been able to get through!)