HMRC Personal Tax Account: How to Sign In, Set Up and Use It in 2026

Most people only open their HMRC personal tax account when something looks wrong: a smaller payslip, a refund letter, or a form asking for a reference number. The answer is usually already in the account. Getting in is the hard part, and the sign-in process changed in 2026.

Last reviewed: [Octobar 2026]

Quick answers

• Cost: free. It is a GOV.UK service.
• Where: the personal tax account page on GOV.UK, or the official HMRC app.
• Sign-in: keep your existing Government Gateway details. First-time users are usually set up with GOV.UK One Login.
• Top uses: checking your tax code, claiming a refund, filing Self Assessment, finding your NI number or UTR.
• Not included: Self Assessment registration, Capital Gains Tax on UK property, and business taxes.

What is an HMRC personal tax account?

It is a free online account where individuals can see and manage the records HMRC holds about them. You can check your tax code, reclaim overpaid tax, send a Self Assessment return, view your State Pension forecast and update your details. You sign in through GOV.UK using Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login.

Think of it as a window onto HMRC’s file about you. Your employer’s payroll, your pension provider and your past tax returns all feed into it. When HMRC’s information is out of date, this is the quickest place to spot and fix it.

The account is for individuals only. VAT, Corporation Tax and employer payroll belong in a separate business tax account. The service is also available in Welsh.

What you can do in your personal tax account

Employees and pensioners

• See your tax code and HMRC’s estimate of your Income Tax for the year.
• Review your pay and the tax deducted over the last five tax years.
• Claim back overpaid tax.
• Correct employment benefits, such as a company car, that HMRC has recorded wrongly.
• View a Simple Assessment bill.

Self Assessment taxpayers

• Send your tax return and view past returns.
• Find your UTR, if one has already been issued.
• Track forms you have sent to HMRC online.

Benefits, pensions and National Insurance

• Check your State Pension forecast and Child Benefit.
• See whether voluntary National Insurance contributions would help your record.
• Find a lost National Insurance number.
• Set up or review Marriage Allowance.
• Report a new address or a change of name.

Do not skip the address update. If HMRC writes to an old home, refund letters and penalty notices can go missing.

Paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge? Since September 2025, employees whose only reason for filing a tax return is this charge can use a separate HMRC online service to pay it through their PAYE tax code. Sign up by 31 January after the tax year ends. You must deregister from Self Assessment first. If you have other income to declare, such as rent, you still need to file a return.

What you can’t do in your personal tax account

Some HMRC services sit outside the personal tax account. You cannot register for Self Assessment, report Capital Gains Tax on a UK home, or handle business taxes there. Each has its own route.

Sole traders often end up with two accounts, and that is normal. Their Self Assessment sits in the personal tax account, while VAT sits in a business tax account. Company directors are in the same position: the company’s taxes go in the business account, and their own salary and dividends go in the personal one.

How to sign in or set up your personal tax account

Go to the personal tax account page on GOV.UK and choose to sign in. If you have used HMRC online before, use those details. If you are new, you will be guided through creating sign-in details and, if needed, an identity check. There is nothing to apply for or wait for in the post.

What to have ready

• Your National Insurance number, shown on payslips, your P60 and HMRC letters.
• An email address you can access.
• For GOV.UK One Login, a way to get security codes: a UK mobile number or an authenticator app.
• Photo ID, such as a passport or UK driving licence.
• Your Government Gateway user ID and password, if you already have them.

Step by step

1. Open Personal tax account: sign in or set up on GOV.UK.
2. Choose your sign-in. If you have used HMRC online before, stick with those details, even if you also have a One Login for another service. If you are new, choose to create new sign-in details.
3. Set up your sign-in. New users are normally directed to GOV.UK One Login, which uses your email, a password and a security code.
4. Complete the identity check if asked. This is usually photo ID, and One Login may use the GOV.UK ID Check app to compare your document with your face.
5. Bookmark the GOV.UK start page, not an inner page, as internal links can change.

Stay safe: HMRC does not ask for your sign-in details by email or text. Always type GOV.UK into your browser or use the official HMRC app. Never follow a refund link in an unexpected message.

Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login: which should you use?

Use the sign-in you already have for HMRC. If a Government Gateway user ID works for you, keep using it. If you are new to HMRC online services, you will usually be set up with GOV.UK One Login.

HMRC is gradually moving individuals from Government Gateway to GOV.UK One Login. Since 15 June 2026, new individual taxpayers have been asked to create a One Login. Both routes work during the switch.

Three rules to avoid sign-in trouble

1. Do not switch early. If your Gateway ID works, keep it until HMRC asks you to move. Switching can split your records across two sign-ins.
2. A One Login from another service is not automatically your HMRC sign-in. It does not replace Gateway details you already use for tax.
3. Check your software. If you file through commercial software, ask your provider which sign-in it needs before changing anything.

Common problems and how to fix them

Most problems are a failed identity check, documents that are not accepted, missing security codes, forgotten details or a duplicate account. Work out which one you have before starting again, because a fresh start often causes the next problem.

Your identity check fails

This usually means your details did not match HMRC’s records, such as a name typed differently from your passport or an old address.

• Retry slowly, entering your name exactly as it appears on your ID.
• On Government Gateway, you may be offered other checks, such as passport details, information from a past tax return or tax credit claim, or your credit record.
• Keep a recent payslip or P60 nearby, as figures from these are often asked for.
• If nothing works, use HMRC’s help for problems signing in. Do not open a new account.

You live abroad

• Security codes: One Login cannot text codes to a non-UK phone number. Use an authenticator app instead.
• Identity: if your documents are rejected, stop before you are locked out and contact HMRC.
• Routine filing: authorising an accountant as your agent means you do not need to sign in yourself for everyday tasks.

You are locked out or have forgotten your details

• Lost your Gateway user ID? Search your email for the set-up message, or use the recovery option on the HMRC sign-in page.
• Forgotten your password? Reset it from the same page. For One Login, your email is your username, so a reset is usually enough.
• Still stuck? Contact HMRC’s online services helpdesk through GOV.UK.

You get a security code you did not ask for

An unexpected One Login code may mean someone is trying to access your account. Change your password straight away.

Your account looks empty

You probably have two sets of sign-in details, for example after forgetting an old Gateway ID and creating a new one. Your records are attached to the other sign-in. Try your older details first, then ask HMRC for help if you cannot reach them.

Illustrative example: fixing a wrong tax code

Illustrative example. Assumptions: fictional person, employed through PAYE, no other income.

Priya changes jobs in July. Her old employer gave her a company car; her new one does not. By September her take-home pay is lower than expected.

1. She signs in and checks her tax code and employment benefits.
2. HMRC still shows her company car, so her tax code is too low.
3. She removes the car using the option to update benefits from work, giving the date she returned it.
4. HMRC sends a corrected tax code to her new employer.
5. Overpaid tax is normally refunded through payroll. Anything left is settled in HMRC’s year-end calculation.

HMRC can only work with what it has been told. The account lets you correct the record yourself, usually faster than writing or calling.

Tip: Check your new tax code every April. Two minutes then can save months of overpaid tax.

Can my accountant access my personal tax account?

No. Never share your sign-in details, even with your accountant. Instead, you authorise your accountant as your agent with HMRC, and they work through their own agent account.

Sharing a password leaves no record of who did what and puts your account at risk. Formal authorisation gives your accountant the access they need without exposing your sign-in.

• Online: for many taxes, authorisation is handled online between your accountant’s agent account and your HMRC account.
• Business tax account: for some business taxes, you can authorise an agent there.
• Form 64-8: used where there is no online route, including for an existing Self Assessment record.

An authorised accountant can file returns, speak to HMRC and answer its questions for you. For help with a single issue, HMRC offers limited authorisation, arranged in writing. Either way, you stay responsible for your tax affairs, so check what your accountant prepares. Appointing a friend or relative is a separate process with its own guidance on GOV.UK.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my tax code online?

Sign in to your personal tax account and open the Income Tax section. Your tax code is shown with HMRC’s estimate of your tax for the year. The HMRC app shows it too.

Can I claim a tax refund through my personal tax account?

Yes. If you have overpaid, you can claim online and have the money paid into your bank account. Ignore messages offering refunds through a link.

Do I still need a Government Gateway user ID?

Only if you already sign in that way. Existing users can keep it. New users are usually set up with GOV.UK One Login, which uses an email address.

Can I find my National Insurance number or UTR in my account?

Yes, both, as long as a UTR has already been issued. If you have never had one, register for Self Assessment first. See our guide on how to get or find your UTR.

Can I pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge without a tax return?

Often, yes. Employees whose only reason for filing is this charge can pay it through their PAYE tax code using HMRC’s online service, after deregistering from Self Assessment.

Can I use my personal tax account if I live abroad?

Yes. Use an authenticator app for One Login security codes, because texts cannot be sent to non-UK numbers. Contact HMRC if your identity documents are rejected.

Need help with something you found in your account?

Your personal tax account shows what HMRC thinks. It cannot tell you whether HMRC is right. An odd tax code, an unfamiliar Self Assessment balance or a low refund are all worth a second look.

Speak to Major Accountancy about [Self Assessment Tax Return SERVICE, e.g. tax code reviews and Self Assessment support]. We can review what HMRC holds, explain it in plain English, and deal with HMRC for you once you have authorised us.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Personal tax account: sign in or set up
• GOV.UK: HMRC online services: sign in or set up an account
• GOV.UK: Getting a security code for GOV.UK One Login
• GOV.UK: Authorising an agent to deal with your tax affairs
• LITRG: Online tax accounts
• ATT: New online HICBC service launched

Author: [Marina Jahan ]
Reviewed by: Shamayun Chowdhury, Senior Accountant, Major Accountancy