Your HMRC personal tax account is the online service where individuals check and update what HMRC holds about them: tax code and Personal Allowance, income and tax paid for the past five years, National Insurance record, State Pension forecast, refunds, Self Assessment and personal details. Updating your income details there is the quickest way to get a wrong tax code corrected, so you stop over or underpaying through PAYE.

What is the personal tax account and how do you get in?

gov.uk describes the account as the place to check your records and manage your details with HMRC. You sign in with HMRC online sign in details, which you can create the first time. You may be asked to prove your identity, which normally involves photo ID such as a passport or driving licence. The service is also available in Welsh.

The HMRC app uses the same sign in details and then lets you use a 6 digit PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition. Most of the checks described below can be done in either.

The account is for individuals. Accountants and tax advisers act for clients through separate agent services; see the HMRC agent services account.

How do you check your tax code and income for this year?

The Check your Income Tax service, reached through the account, covers the current tax year, 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027. It shows your tax code and Personal Allowance, your estimated income from each job and pension, and the tax you can expect to pay. You can update details of your income, see whether your code has changed and why, tell HMRC about changes that affect your code, and update employer or pension provider details.

gov.uk’s tax codes guidance says that if your code is wrong it is usually because HMRC has incorrect or missing information, and that the online service is the quickest way to correct it. PAYE tax codes explains how the codes themselves are built.

There is one limit: you cannot use this service if Self Assessment is the only way you pay Income Tax.

How do you see what you paid in earlier years?

The account lets you check your income from work and how much Income Tax you paid in the previous 5 years. For last year, 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026, a separate check shows the figures once HMRC has calculated your tax, which it does between June and November. That check is not available if you paid any of last year’s tax through Self Assessment.

If HMRC’s calculation, the P800, shows a refund and says you can claim online, gov.uk says you can claim through your personal tax account or the app if you have a UK bank account. Online claims are paid within 5 working days; a cheque requested online takes up to 6 weeks. Where the P800 says a cheque will be sent automatically, it arrives within 14 days of the date on the letter. Claiming tax back after leaving a job covers refunds in the middle of a year.

Why does the savings interest estimate deserve a check?

gov.uk explains that HMRC may add an estimate of the current year’s savings interest to your tax code, based on what your bank or building society reported for the previous year. You can see the estimate in your personal tax account. gov.uk suggests multiplying your average monthly interest by 12 and comparing. If the estimate is wrong, contact HMRC and it will issue a new code; if you have overpaid, it asks your employer or pension provider to refund the difference through pay.

Illustration only. Joan’s code for 2026 to 2027 includes estimated interest of £2,400, taken from last year when she held a large fixed rate deposit. She has since used most of it to buy a car and now earns about £30 a month, around £360 a year. As a basic rate taxpayer her Personal Savings Allowance is £1,000, so on the true figure no tax is due on the interest. She updates HMRC, receives a new code and the tax collected so far on the estimate is refunded through her pay. Tax on savings interest explains the allowances.

What does it show about National Insurance and your State Pension?

Through the account you can check your National Insurance record and State Pension forecast. gov.uk says the record shows what you have paid up to the start of the current tax year, 6 April 2026, any National Insurance credits, and any years that are not qualifying years because of gaps. It also shows whether paying voluntary contributions would help, how your forecast would change, how much it would cost, and whether you can pay online. The app can also be used to pay gaps.

gov.uk advises checking whether you are eligible for National Insurance credits before deciding to pay voluntary contributions. A printed statement can be requested instead, but not for the current or previous tax year. Your National Insurance record and State Pension covers how qualifying years work.

Which personal details can you change?

gov.uk lists what the account can be used for, including:

  • telling HMRC about a change of name or address;
  • checking or updating benefits from work, such as company car and medical insurance details;
  • checking or updating Marriage Allowance;
  • checking Child Benefit;
  • finding your National Insurance number and, if you have one, your Unique Taxpayer Reference;
  • submitting, viewing or managing a Self Assessment return;
  • checking a Simple Assessment tax bill;
  • tracking forms you have submitted online.

Some services are separate. Registering for Self Assessment and reporting Capital Gains Tax on UK property use different services, as gov.uk notes. You must also tell HMRC about other changes to taxable income, such as starting self employment or rental income, a new taxable benefit, or income from inherited shares, either through the Check your Income Tax service or by phone. HMRC may then change your code or ask you to send a Self Assessment return.

Can someone else use it for you?

A friend or relative can register as a trusted helper. gov.uk says a trusted helper can check whether you are paying the right Income Tax, check or update your personal tax account, check or update company car or medical insurance benefits, check your State Pension and view your National Insurance record. You must accept their offer within 28 days, after which they can help for 90 days before registering again. One person can be a trusted helper for up to 5 people. A trusted helper cannot use the service for your Self Assessment, and you remain legally responsible for your own tax.

If you cannot go online, someone can call HMRC for you, but they must be in the same room and have your National Insurance number or tax reference.

What mistakes do people make?

  • Never looking at the estimates. Estimated pay, benefits and interest drive your code. If they are stale, the code is wrong all year.
  • Waiting for a P800 to fix the year. Updating figures during the year spreads any correction through pay instead of leaving a refund or bill for later.
  • Paying voluntary National Insurance without checking credits first. A credit may already fill the gap.
  • Using a trusted helper for Self Assessment. That route does not cover it; an authorised agent or intermediary is needed instead.
  • Expecting it to work for Self Assessment only taxpayers. If all your tax is paid through Self Assessment, the current year check is not available; your return and statement are the place to look.

If HMRC opens a check into your return, tax investigation insurance pays your accountant’s fees. Solar Protect cover pays up to £100,000 with no excess; it never pays tax, interest or penalties. Read how our cover works or get a quote.

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Sources

Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.