MTD - Setting up your HMRC connection
Connecting to HMRC
What is this?
Connecting your account to HMRC allows your digital tax software to communicate directly with HMRC on your behalf. This is done securely through the HMRC Government Gateway.
Why connect to HMRC?
There are two main reasons you may need to connect:
To send your quarterly updates to HMRC as part of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
To pull existing data from HMRC into your software - for example, employment income or CIS deduction information.
If your accounting firm is responsible for submitting your quarterly updates on your behalf, you may not need to complete this step. Check with your firm if you are unsure.
When do I need to do this?
You only need to connect to HMRC once. After that, your connection stays active and you will not need to repeat these steps unless your connection expires. HMRC requires you to reauthorise the connection every 18 months for security purposes - your software will prompt you when this is due.
How to connect to HMRC
Log in to your digital tax software and go to Profile & Settings.
Select Data Connections, then 3rd Party Accounts.
Click the three dots menu, and select Connect.
You will be redirected to the HMRC Government Gateway login page. Enter your Government Gateway User ID and password.
Once logged in to HMRC, click Grant Permission to allow your software to connect.
You will be returned to your digital tax software. Your HMRC connection will show as Connected in green.
Make sure you use the correct Government Gateway credentials — these are the login details you use for your personal HMRC account. If you don't have a Government Gateway account, you can create one at gov.uk.
HMRC requires all software connections to be reauthorised every 18 months. When this is due, you will be prompted to go through the same steps above to renew your connection. This is a security requirement from HMRC and applies to all connected tax software.
Need help?
If you have trouble connecting to HMRC or cannot remember your Government Gateway details, visit gov.uk to recover your credentials. For any issues within your digital tax software, contact your accounting firm or the Digital Tax Software team using the Help icon in the bottom right of your software.
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