Hi there
Nicholas Campion here from 1st Formations, and in today’s short video, we’re going
to explain what a company’s Unique Taxpayer Reference is, and answer some of the key questions
you might have about it.
As always, this video is part of our Whiteboard Thursday video series – and if you want
to keep up to date with all of our insights, advice, and inspiration,
then hit that subscribe button.
So, a Unique Taxpayer Reference, or UTR for short, is a unique 10-digit number
that HMRC issues to all limited companies.
These UTRs are used to identify companies for tax-related purposes.
As a result, it’s an important piece of information, so you should keep a note of
the Unique Taxpayer Reference when you receive it, as you will need it to register your business taxes,
file tax returns, and pay Corporation Tax.
So the first question we’ll look at therefore is, how do you actually go about gettting a Unique Taxpayer Reference
for your limited company?
Companies House will notify HMRC about your company’s existence when it is incorporated.
There is no need to contact HMRC yourself at this stage.
Then, usually within about 14 days, HMRC will send a letter to your registered
office address with your company’s Unique Taxpayer Reference on it.
It will be printed next to a heading like ‘UTR’, or ‘Tax reference’ or ‘Official use’.
The letter will also explain how and when to register for business taxes.
Next, how do you tell HMRC that your company is now active?
Now this is where your code becomes even more important.
When you start trading, you will need your Unique Taxpayer Reference to register as ‘active’
for Corporation Tax purposes.
Registration for this should take place within 3 months of any kind of business activity starting.
The most straightforward way to do this is to use HMRC’s online registration service.
Before you start, you will need your Government Gateway user ID and password, and of course
your 10-digit UTR number.
You can also apply by post - and your letter for this should be signed by either a company director
or the company secretary and should include: Your Company's name and registration number
the principal address where the business activities
are actually going to be conducted, the name and home address of all of the directors appointed to the company,
the types of business activities that will be carried out, the date your business started,
and the date your annual accounts will be made up to.
This information will enable HMRC to work out your accounting period and deadlines for
paying Corporation Tax and delivering company tax returns.
If your company is dormant, then you should inform your local Corporation Tax office
either by phone or by letter.
So where can you actually go about finding your company's UTR?
Your Unique Taxpayer Reference is printed on the letters you received from HMRC shortly after registering your limited company.
As we saw earlier, it is also available within the online services.
It will also be displayed on all other forms of official correspondence from HMRC, including
the notice to deliver a Company Tax Return, and any payment reminders that you might receive.
With that in mind, let’s just take a look at what you should do if you can’t find your company’s UTR.
You can ask for a copy of your limited company’s UTR code online using the GOV.UK website, and HMRC
will send it to you by post to the company’s registered office address as it is displayed at
Companies House.
Do note that you will need to know your company registration number and registered company
name before you start this process.
Finally, we’re often asked whether you can use your own personal UTR number
as your company’s UTR?
Personal UTRs are issued by HMRC to anyone who is registered for Self Assessment.
These are completely different to the Unique Taxpayer Reference numbers issued to companies,
so, therefore, no, it is not possible to use your own UTR for your limited company.
As soon as your company formation application has been approved, your business exists as
an entirely separate legal entity.
This means that it requires its own Unique Taxpayer Reference.
Your personal UTR can only be used by you as an individual when you file Self Assessment
tax returns and pay Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions on your personal income.
And that’s everything!
So in this short video, we’ve looked at what Unique Taxpayer Reference code is, how
to tell HMRC that your company is active, what you should do if you can’t find your
UTR code, where you can find it, and whether you can use your personal UTR code in its place.
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Until next time,
Cheerio!