Where to find your Unique Taxpayer Reference
In the HMRC app
- Sign in to the HMRC app.
- Your UTR is shown in your Self Assessment details.
In your personal tax account
- Sign in to your personal tax account on GOV.UK.
- Open your Self Assessment section, where the UTR is listed.
On letters and returns
- Look at the letter HMRC sent when you registered for Self Assessment.
- Check previous tax returns, notices to file and payment reminders: the UTR is printed on them, sometimes labelled 'tax reference'.
From your accountant
- If an accountant files your returns, they hold your UTR on file and can tell you it.
What it looks like
A 10-digit number, labelled UTR or tax reference on HMRC letters.
If you've lost it
- Check the HMRC app, your personal tax account and any old returns or HMRC letters first.
- If you still can't find it, contact HMRC through its Self Assessment helpline or contact page.
- For a limited company's Corporation Tax UTR, request it online. HMRC posts it to the company's registered office address held by Companies House.
Personal and company UTRs are different
You get a personal UTR when you register for Self Assessment. A limited company gets its own, separate UTR for Corporation Tax when it's set up. If you're a company director you may have both, and they aren't interchangeable.
HMRC sends a company's UTR to the registered office address at Companies House. If that address is your accountant's, the letter goes to them.
When a new UTR arrives
After registering for Self Assessment, the UTR usually arrives by post in about 15 days, and longer if you live abroad. Register in good time: the deadline to tell HMRC you need to file is 5 October after the end of the tax year.
Beware of scam messages
HMRC says it never sends tax rebate notifications or asks for personal or payment details by text. If a message claiming to be from HMRC asks for them, don't reply: forward texts to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. HMRC's guidance on suspicious contact (opens GOV.UK).
Related
What else will you need?
- SA100SA100 tax returnThe SA100 is HMRC's main Self Assessment tax return.
- Where to find itGet your SA302An SA302 is HMRC's calculation of your tax for a year, used as proof of income, for example by self-employed mortgage applicants.
- 64-864-8 agent authorisationForm 64-8 is the paper form you sign to let a paid agent, such as an accountant, deal with HMRC for you.
Rather we did it?
Countify can handle this for you, for a fixed fee agreed upfront.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Is my UTR the same as my National Insurance number?
No. Your National Insurance number is your reference for National Insurance and tax generally. A UTR is a separate 10-digit number you only get when you register for Self Assessment or set up a company.
Where is the UTR on an HMRC letter?
It's usually near the top, labelled as your UTR or tax reference. It also appears on notices to file and payment reminders.
Can HMRC tell me my UTR over the phone?
If you can't find it in the app, your personal tax account or your letters, HMRC asks you to contact it through its Self Assessment contact page.
Checked against GOV.UK on · Reviewed by Kamran Ishaq FCCA, Founder & CEO, on .
Sources: Find your UTR number (opens in a new tab) (HM Revenue & Customs); Self Assessment deadlines (opens in a new tab) (HM Revenue & Customs); Report suspicious HMRC emails, texts and phone calls (opens in a new tab) (HM Revenue & Customs).
Countify is an independent accountancy practice. We aren't part of, or endorsed by, HMRC, Companies House or Revenue Scotland. Always file using the official form or service.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (opens in a new tab).