To find your UTR number, sign in to your HMRC Personal Tax Account on GOV.UK, open the HMRC app, or look on official Self Assessment letters such as your SA250 welcome letter, a previous tax return, or a payment reminder. The Unique Taxpayer Reference is 10 or 13 digits long and is issued by HMRC when you register for Self Assessment or set up a limited company.1GOV.UK. Unique Taxpayer Reference – HMRC Design Patterns If none of those sources are available to you, HMRC can post a replacement letter, but since May 2025 advisers will no longer read the number out over the phone.
In Your Personal Tax Account Online
The quickest way to retrieve your UTR is through your Personal Tax Account on GOV.UK.2GOV.UK. Find Your UTR Number Sign in with your Government Gateway User ID and password, then go to the Self Assessment section. The number is shown in the account summary, usually near your name or account status.
If you’re setting up access for the first time from 9 February 2026 onwards, you register through GOV.UK One Login instead of the older Government Gateway. One Login uses an email address and password rather than the 10-to-12-digit Government Gateway ID. Existing Government Gateway users don’t need to switch on their own; HMRC will contact you when it’s time to move across.3GOV.UK. HMRC Introduces GOV.UK One Login for New Customers
Forgotten your Government Gateway User ID? Check the email address you used when the account was created, because the ID was sent there. If it’s not in your inbox, you may need to create a new Government Gateway account using the same email address, or use GOV.UK One Login if you’re starting from scratch.
In the HMRC App
The HMRC mobile app shows the same information as the Personal Tax Account and is often quicker on a phone.2GOV.UK. Find Your UTR Number Download the app, sign in with your Government Gateway credentials or biometric login, and your UTR appears under your personal details.
If it’s your first time using the app and you need to prove your identity, you’ll need a working phone camera and one of the following:4GOV.UK. Proving Your Identity With GOV.UK One Login
- A UK photocard driving licence
- A UK passport
- A non-UK passport with a biometric chip
- A UK biometric residence permit (BRP), biometric residence card (BRC), or Frontier Worker permit (FWP); these are accepted up to 18 months after expiry
iPhone users need an iPhone 8 or newer running iOS 16.7 or later, and Android users need Android 10 or later.4GOV.UK. Proving Your Identity With GOV.UK One Login Once you’re verified, the app syncs with your tax account and shows the UTR whenever you open it.
On HMRC Letters and Tax Documents
If you can’t get into your online account, several types of HMRC post carry your UTR. The label isn’t consistent: on some documents it’s spelled out as “UTR,” on others it appears as “reference” or “official use.”1GOV.UK. Unique Taxpayer Reference – HMRC Design Patterns Common places to look:
- Your SA250 welcome letter, which is the first thing HMRC sends after you register for Self Assessment.5GOV.UK. SAM100220 – Records: Set Up Taxpayer Record: Set Up Individual Record
- Any previous paper Self Assessment return (SA100).
- The annual notice to file a return, usually with the number in the top right-hand corner.
- Payment reminders and statements of account, which show the UTR so payments are credited correctly.2GOV.UK. Find Your UTR Number
- Late-filing penalty notices, which start at £100.6GOV.UK. Self Assessment Tax Returns: Penalties
Subcontractors in the construction industry will also find their UTR on the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) payment and deduction statements issued by contractors.7GOV.UK. Construction Industry Scheme Payment and Deduction Statement
Where Your UTR Will Not Appear
Your P60, monthly payslips, and PAYE coding notices don’t show your UTR. They carry your National Insurance number and your employer’s PAYE reference. The employer PAYE reference on a P60 can look a bit like a UTR at first glance, so check carefully before quoting it.
You might also not have a UTR at all. HMRC only issues one when you register for Self Assessment, so if all your tax is dealt with through PAYE and you’ve never needed to file a return, there’s no UTR to find. A UTR is created when you register because you’re self-employed, receive rental income, or have other untaxed income to declare.
If You Still Can’t Find It
Since May 2025, HMRC no longer gives UTRs out over the phone. If your online account and paper records both fail you, the options are:
- Sign in to your Personal Tax Account or the HMRC app. This is still the fastest route, because the number appears on screen as soon as you’re in.
- Use the HMRC Digital Assistant or webchat on GOV.UK. The assistant guides you through identity checks and can pass you to a live adviser, but the adviser will arrange for a letter to be posted rather than reading the number out.8GOV.UK. HMRC: Ask HMRC Online
- Call the Self Assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310, or +44 161 931 9070 from outside the UK, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. The adviser will verify your identity and post the UTR to the address on file.9GOV.UK. Self Assessment: General Enquiries
The letter usually arrives about 15 days after you request it, and longer if you live overseas.2GOV.UK. Find Your UTR Number
Check Your Address First
Because HMRC posts the replacement to the address on your record, make sure that address is up to date before you ask for one. You can update it by signing in to your Personal Tax Account, but only after you’ve actually moved, not in advance.10GOV.UK. Tell HMRC When You Change Your Address If you don’t have a Personal Tax Account yet, you can create one when you sign in for the first time, though you may need photo ID to verify your identity.
Partnership and Company UTRs
Businesses have their own UTRs, separate from any personal one. If you run a partnership, the nominated partner registers the partnership for Self Assessment and HMRC issues a partnership UTR, which usually arrives within about 15 days. You may be able to see it sooner in the HMRC app or a Business Tax Account.11GOV.UK. Register a Partnership for Self Assessment Each individual partner also registers separately and gets their own personal UTR.
Limited companies receive a Corporation Tax UTR, which appears on Corporation Tax returns and other company correspondence from HMRC. You can also find it by signing in to the HMRC Business Tax Account.1GOV.UK. Unique Taxpayer Reference – HMRC Design Patterns A director who also files a personal return will have two UTRs to keep track of: one for themselves and one for the company.