How to Set Up Your HMRC Business Tax Account
Create or sign in to your company's HMRC online account and add Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE — so all your business taxes are managed from one place.
Once your limited company has its own HMRC online account — known as the business tax account — you can access Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE from a single sign-in. That means one place to see what you owe, check payment deadlines and keep your company's tax affairs organised.
This guide covers two things: (1) creating or signing in to your company's HMRC account, and (2) adding each tax — Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE — to that account. Everything below links directly to the official GOV.UK services.
Step 1 — Create the company HMRC online account
Open the HMRC sign-in page
Go to gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services. This is the starting point for both new and existing users of HMRC online services.
Sign in — or create new sign-in details
If the business already has HMRC sign-in details, use those. If you've never used HMRC online services, choose "Create new sign in details" — HMRC will guide you to the right sign-in method for your business.
Follow HMRC's prompts
HMRC will take you through creating your sign-in and setting up the business tax account for the company. Answer the questions as they apply to your company, and note down the details you're given.
Keep your sign-in details safe — and stick to one account
Save your Government Gateway user ID / HMRC sign-in details somewhere secure. Don't create a fresh account each time you add another tax — doing so can split the company's taxes across different logins, making them hard to manage. HMRC is also introducing GOV.UK One Login across its services, so the exact wording on screen can vary — the steps themselves stay the same.
Step 2 — Add Corporation Tax
Before you start, have these to hand:
- Your 10-digit Corporation Tax Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
- Your Companies House company registration number
- The date the company started doing business
- The date your first accounts are made up to
If your company was registered for Corporation Tax when it was incorporated at Companies House, this process isn't registering you again — it's getting that existing Corporation Tax service visible and accessible inside your business tax account.
Sign in to the company's business tax account
Use the same HMRC sign-in details you set up in Step 1.
Find the option to add a service
Look for "Services you can add" or "Add a tax, duty or scheme".
Choose Corporation Tax
Find Corporation Tax in the list and choose "Enrol for service".
Enter the company details
Enter the requested company details and your 10-digit Corporation Tax UTR.
Follow HMRC's activation instructions
If HMRC asks you to activate the service, follow the instructions given — some services require an activation step before they appear in full.
Step 3 — Add VAT
There are two different situations here, and it's important not to confuse them:
A) Not VAT registered yet? You need to register for VAT first. Adding VAT to your account is not the same as registering — if the company isn't VAT registered, start with the registration process. See our guide on how to register for VAT and the official GOV.UK VAT registration instructions.
B) Already VAT registered? Then you can add VAT to your business tax account using your existing VAT registration number — you'll need that number once your registration has been approved.
Sign in to the same HMRC business tax account
Use the same sign-in details as before, so VAT sits alongside Corporation Tax.
Choose "Add a tax, duty or scheme now"
This option adds a service to your existing account.
Select "VAT and VAT Services"
Pick the relevant VAT service for your business.
Enter the details requested
HMRC will ask for your VAT registration number and related details to match the service to your company.
Step 4 — Add PAYE for Employers
As with VAT: if the company hasn't registered as an employer yet, you need to register for PAYE first — adding the service to your account only works once a PAYE scheme exists. For an existing PAYE scheme, you'll normally need:
- Your employer PAYE reference
- Your Accounts Office reference
Both are issued by HMRC when you register as an employer.
Sign in to the same business tax account
Again, use the same HMRC sign-in details so everything stays together.
Choose the employers option
Select the option for employers/intermediaries, then "PAYE for employers".
Enrol for PAYE for Employers
Select PAYE for Employers and enrol for the service.
Enter your references
Enter your employer PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference when asked.
Activate if HMRC sends a code
HMRC may send an activation code by post. If one is issued, enter it by the deadline shown on the letter — the service stays restricted until you do.
Step 5 — Once all three are added
Your business tax account should now show a card or service entry for each tax you've added. From there you can view liabilities, check payment deadlines and see other information HMRC holds for the company. You can read more about what the account shows on the official HMRC business tax account guidance.
Bear in mind that filing itself is often done through compatible accounting or payroll software depending on the tax — for example, VAT returns under Making Tax Digital are usually filed through software such as Xero or FreeAgent rather than typed directly into the HMRC account.
A tax is missing from your account?
Check whether it was added using a different Government Gateway / HMRC sign-in. HMRC notes that services registered under different IDs can appear separately — so a tax set up under an old or second login won't show in your main business tax account. If that's happened, it's usually fixable, but it pays to keep everything under one set of sign-in details from the start.
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Need help setting up HMRC for your limited company?
In Front Accounting can help you get your company registered correctly for Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE and make sure the right HMRC services are linked to your business. Book a free call and we'll walk you through it.