A surprising number of people don’t know that they have an online HMRC personal tax account (PTA). Your PTA is a useful source of information about your personal tax position and allows you to communicate with HMRC quickly and easily.
For example, you can check your PAYE code, update any estimated aspects of your code and view your annual tax summary.
Your PTA also contains your complete national insurance record for the whole of your adult life so you can check for gaps in that record. By clicking on ‘state pension’ you can see a forecast of the value of your pension and when you will be able to draw it. If you claim tax credits or child benefit you can tell HMRC about changes to your claim through your PTA.
There is also a messages section where HMRC sends reminders to complete a tax return and other important notices.
To access your PTA, use the link – Personal Tax Account. Then, click the green button. You need to set up a Government Gateway ID for which you need one of the following government-issued documents:
- UK passport;
- payslips or P60 form;
- self-assessment tax return;
- Northern Irish driving licence; or
- tax credit details.
You should never give anyone your Government Gateway ID details as they could be used to make fraudulent claims in your name. We cannot access your PTA as your tax agent.
If you need help with this or any other accountancy, tax and small business issues, get in touch for a no-obligation discussion – see our Contact Us page for how to reach us.
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