HMRC online services: sign in or set up an account
Set up an account for HMRC online services
You’ll need to set up a Government Gateway account in order to access HMRC’s online services.
There are 3 types of account:
- individual accounts
- organisation accounts
- accounts for agents
Individual accounts
You can, for example:
- set up a personal tax account to check things like your Income Tax estimate and tax code, update your personal details and claim a tax refund if one’s due
- register for Self Assessment if you need to send a Self Assessment tax return to report rental or investment income
You can use the same Government Gateway sign in details to access both accounts. For example, if you set up a personal tax account you can then add Self Assessment to that account.
Organisation accounts
These include accounts for:
- businesses, such as limited companies, partnerships and sole traders (business tax accounts)
- trusts that need to be registered
Business tax accounts
Once you’ve set up your business tax account, you can use it to for example:
- register for Self Assessment if you’re self-employed
- register for VAT if your taxable turnover is over the VAT threshold
- set up PAYE because you’ve started to employ people
- add Corporation Tax services if you’ve set up a limited company or other organisation that needs to pay this tax
If you’re an agent
You can use HMRC online services on behalf of your clients if you’re a tax agent or adviser.