Applying for your UTR: A step-by-step guide

UTR, HMRC, Sole Trader, Limited Company: The business world is no stranger to jargon, and wading through forums and gov­ern­ment sites can be tiring and confusing. Although it can seem like another both­er­some admin task, applying for your UTR is necessary and can be quite simple – if you know how to do it. This article will outline what you need to know and point you in the right direction to obtain your Unique Taxpayer Number.

First things first: Who needs a UTR number? The answer is, luckily, very straight­for­ward. Anyone who has to complete a tax self-as­sess­ment needs a UTR number so they can suc­cess­fully file their tax return. You need to file a tax return if you were self-employed as a ‘sole trader’ earning more than £1,000 in the last tax year, or if you are a partner in a business part­ner­ship. It might be that you’ve already applied for your UTR, but you’re not sure which number it is. In that case, you can read this article on how to find out your TIN which will help you get the in­form­a­tion you need.

Un­for­tu­nately, a taxpayer iden­ti­fic­a­tion number is not a one-size-fits-all piece of doc­u­ment­a­tion. Depending on which kind of matter you need to tend to, a taxpayer number may refer to a NINO (National Insurance Number) or a UTR (unique Taxpayer Reference). This article will be focusing on UTRs: This is the number you need for most business matters, whilst your NINO is more important for applying for things like social security.

Your UTR is 10 digits long, and unique to you. Keep this number in a safe place, because in order to make sure you adhere to good book­keep­ing standards, you’ll need to access it once in a while to file your tax returns properly. If you’re unsure where to find your UTR number, take a look at any doc­u­ment­a­tion you have received from HMRC. You’ll most likely have it stated on there.

If you have not yet got your UTR number, it is a simple process to apply for one. Once you register to submit a tax self-as­sess­ment form you’ll auto­mat­ic­ally be issued one by HMRC. This also applies if you form a limited company. You can register for a UTR online with HMRC, and within a few weeks you’ll receive it in the post along with an ac­tiv­a­tion code. This should be used within 28 days of reception.

Although the process to get a UTR is fairly straight­for­ward, there are some guidelines to follow and necessary in­form­a­tion you’ll need to submit. For example, you’ll need in­form­a­tion which iden­ti­fies you as an in­di­vidu­al to HMRC, in­form­a­tion such as your name, date of birth and current address. And remember that other taxpayer number mentioned earlier, the NINO? You’ll need that too. Basic in­form­a­tion such as a telephone number and email address is also required so HMRC can get in touch with you whenever necessary.

In­form­a­tion relating to your business should also be kept at hand, such as the date from which you began being self-employed, as well as your business contact details, should they differ from your private contact details. The type of business you run is also something you’ll need to show. Once you’ve gathered this in­form­a­tion, you’ll be set to apply for your UTR.

The best of us misplace things, and unluckily this often happens when we’re trying to keep something safe. Although you’ll need your UTR quite regularly, the piece of doc­u­ment­a­tion with the number on it probably won’t be part of your daily routine, and so you might forget where you’ve placed it, or lose it for any other number of reasons.

The best way to recover a lost UTR is to carefully sift through your cor­res­pond­ence with HMRC, as it should be stated on letters and other post you get from HMRC. However, if you don’t have access to these documents for whatever reason, there is a helpline you can call, and there is a dedicated page at gov.uk to help you recover a lost UTR.

Please note the legal dis­claim­er relating to this article.