Every UK taxpayer has a Personal Tax Account (or PTA), though an impressive number of us don’t actually know it. Despite that, PTAs are a pretty useful tool for checking your personal tax information and everything that goes with it. Before the jargon puts you off, let our straightforward explanation introduce you to the simplicity of digitised personal tax.

What is my Personal Tax Account (PTA)?

A Personal Tax Account (PTA) is an online portal where UK taxpayers can sign in to review their tax information. Because it’s online, you can access it whenever you like, without sitting on hold with HMRC. Winner!

What can I use my Personal Tax Account (PTA) for, and why is that useful?

Your PTA brings all of your personal tax data together in one place, so there’s a lot of information which can be checked.

The Personal Tax Account will show you your National Insurance record, so you can check if there are any gaps. Checking your NI record is useful because any gaps could affect how much state pension you get when the time comes. Gaps can appear in your NI record for different reasons, such as employment breaks or employer submission errors. If you want to fill up any gaps, you might decide to make voluntary contributions – find out more about National Insurance here.

You can also access your PTA to:

• get an estimate on how much state pension you can expect to receive (known as a state pension forecast)
• view your tax code
• if you’re self-employed you can check your tax calculation, and make any payments outstanding
• request a tax refund if you’ve overpaid
• make and update child benefit claims
• make a marriage allowance transfer

How do I sign into my Personal Tax Account (PTA)

To sign in to your PTA you will need either a Government Gateway user ID, or to use the GOV.UK Verify service. Think of them as the security guards you have to get past in order to use other government services online.

If you don’t already have an account, register with one of them on your first visit, and then use those log in details for subsequent sign-ins. It takes around 10 minutes to create an account.

If you’ve used other online government services before, you might already have a login! For example, if you’ve gone online to submit a Self Assessment tax return, or are a member of the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).

If you spot any mistakes or have questions about the information on your Personal Tax Account, you can still contact HMRC directly.

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About The Author

Elizabeth Hughes

A content writer specialising in business, finance, software, and beyond. I'm a wordsmith with a penchant for puns and making complex subjects accessible. Learn more about Elizabeth.

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