How to create a Government Gateway account
Set up the sign-in HMRC's online services use, pass the identity checks first time, and avoid ending up with two accounts.
Last checked 22 August 2026
Before you start
The sign-up takes ten minutes if you have these to hand.
An email address you can check straight away.
Your National Insurance number.
Your phone, for security codes.
Something to prove who you are — a UK passport, a recent payslip or P60,
or details from a credit record such as a loan or phone contract.
Start from the HMRC sign-in page
Go to HMRC's sign-in page and choose to create sign-in details. You'll
confirm your email with a code, give your name, and set a password and
a recovery word.
Create sign-in details on GOV.UK →Good to know
You get your Government Gateway user ID at the end — a 12-digit
number. Save it somewhere safe with your password; it's what you'll
sign in with from now on.
Pick the right account type
Choose individual for your own tax — Self Assessment, personal tax
account, the HMRC app. Choose organisation for a business that needs
business services such as VAT, PAYE for employers, or Corporation Tax.
Many people legitimately end up with one of each; what matters is using
the same one consistently per service.
Set up extra security
HMRC asks for a second security step: codes by text or voice call, or
an authenticator app. You'll enter a code from it every time you sign
in, so pick a method that works where you do your admin.
Prove your identity when a service asks
The first time you access a tax service, HMRC checks you are who you
say you are. It asks questions only you should be able to answer, drawn
from your passport, a recent payslip or P60, or your credit record. If
one document fails, try another — you usually need two sources to pass.
Enrol for the services you need
A Government Gateway account is just the key: each tax service is
added to it separately. Enrolling for Self Assessment needs your UTR;
VAT needs your VAT registration number; PAYE needs your employer
references. Some enrolments post an activation code, so allow up to ten
days before you can use the service.
Common questions
Signing in, in practice
I already have an account but can't remember the details
Recover them rather than starting again. The sign-in page can email
your user ID and reset your password. A second account with the same
services causes duplicate-record problems that take calls to unpick.
What about GOV.UK One Login?
Some government services now sign in with GOV.UK One Login instead.
HMRC's tax services still use Government Gateway sign-ins — each
service tells you which it wants, so use whichever the sign-in page
asks for.
The identity check keeps failing — what now?
Check the details match your records exactly, then try a different
evidence source. If nothing passes online, HMRC's sign-in help pages
offer alternative routes, including answering questions by phone for
some services.
Can my accountant just do this for me?
They can't create your personal sign-in for you — it proves your
identity, not theirs. What they can do is act on your behalf once you
authorise them as your agent.
Next steps
What most people set up straight after.
How to register for Self Assessment
Tell HMRC you need to send a tax return, pick the right registration form, and get your UTR before the 5 October deadline.Read the guide →
How to authorise an accountant with HMRC
The ways to let an agent deal with HMRC for you, what access they actually get, and how to change or remove it later.Read the guide →
Signed in? Put your records in order next.
Bookfolio keeps your business records digital and HMRC-ready, and connects to HMRC's services with the account you've just set up — so filing starts from real figures, not a shoebox.