How to check your tax code

Step 01

Where to look

GOV.UK lists these places to find your tax code: • Check your tax code for the current year online (sign in or create an HMRC account) • The HMRC app • Your payslip • A Tax Code Notice letter from HMRC, if you get one Online and in the app you can also see previous years and sign up for paperless notifications when your code changes. Your employer or pension provider uses the code HMRC tells them. You get a code for each employment or pension.

This page is a how-to with official links — not a third-party “tax code checker.” Use HMRC’s own services for your live code.

Step 02

Check with HMRC (current tax year)

Use GOV.UK “Check your Income Tax for the current year” to check your tax code and Personal Allowance, see estimated income from jobs and pensions and the tax you can expect for the year, update income details, see if your code changed, and tell HMRC about changes that affect your code. As of our 2026-11-05 check, that service covers **6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027**. The service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg). You can use the HMRC app for the same current-year check. You need to sign in (and may need to prove your identity). If Self Assessment is the only way you pay Income Tax, you cannot use this current-year service — use the Self Assessment route instead. There is a separate GOV.UK path to check Income Tax for the previous year (6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026).

Step 03

If the tax on your payslip looks wrong

GOV.UK says it is your responsibility to make sure you are paying the right amount of tax. Check what should be on your payslip, then check whether the tax looks correct. If it does not, your tax code may be incorrect. Common situations that change coding include a new job without a P45 (starter checklist / emergency coding), a second job, benefits in kind, or under- or over-paid tax from earlier in the year. Follow GOV.UK guidance on what to do if you think your tax code is wrong rather than guessing a new letter/number yourself.

Step 04

Changing a code

You generally do not invent a new tax code. Update the facts HMRC holds (jobs, pensions, benefits, other income) through the Check Income Tax service or other HMRC channels. HMRC then tells your employer or pension provider which code to use. After payroll applies a new code, compare the next payslip with an educational take-home estimate for England & NI, Wales, or Scotland on Counttaxes — then trust HMRC and your payslip over any third-party tool.

We do not change tax codes or contact HMRC for you. Educational estimates only.