Guidance

Sign up to Tax-Free Childcare if you’re a childcare provider

Find out how to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare and get a childcare provider account to receive payments from parents using Tax-Free Childcare.

Who can sign up

There’s a different way to apply for Tax-Free childcare if you’re a parent.

If you’ve already signed up to Tax-Free Childcare you can sign in to your childcare provider account.

If you’re an approved or registered childcare provider, you can sign up to get a childcare provider account. This allows you to set up your bank account details and receive payments from parents who use Tax-Free Childcare.

What you’ll need

To sign up you should be the main contact for your business. You’ll be able to set up a ‘delegate’ to manage your account for you during the process.

You’ll need your:

  • 11-digit user ID from your sign up to Tax-Free Childcare registration letter — if you did not receive a letter or have lost your user ID, contact the Childcare Service helpline
  • bank account details
  • business postcode (the one registered with your regulator, for example Ofsted)

Sign up

HMRC services may be slow during busy times. Check if there are any problems with this service.

Use the online service to sign up to Tax-free Childcare.

Sign up now

After you sign up

You’ll need your user ID and password to sign in to your childcare provider account. You must update your details on your account to allow parents who use Tax-Free Childcare to pay you.

You can still accept payments from parents using childcare vouchers. Parents cannot use both childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare to pay for childcare.

You can read more in the sign in to your childcare provider account guidance about: 

  • receiving payments from parents
  • refunding parents
  • updating your details 
  • nominating a delegate 

Updates to this page

Published 30 July 2018
Last updated 21 October 2024 + show all updates
  1. Welsh translation added.

  2. Information on where to find your user ID has been added.

  3. This page has been updated with more information about what you'll need to sign up.

  4. First published.

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