Personal Tax Account celebrates its first birthday with 7 million users

More than seven million customers have used their online Personal Tax Account in its first year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced today.

Launched in December 2015, the Personal Tax Account has revolutionised the way customers interact with HMRC and there have been millions of transactions in its first year, including:

• 1.6 million Income Tax repayments, worth more than £800 million
• 1 million tax credit renewals
• 156,000 people checking or updating their company car details
• 1.6 million people checking their tax estimate
• 2.3 million people checking their state pensions.

Jane Ellison, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“We want to make HMRC the most digitally advanced tax authority in the world and it is encouraging that so many people across the country are already logging onto their Personal Tax Accounts to manage their taxes.”

Ruth Owen, Director General, Customer Services, HMRC, said:

“The Personal Tax Account puts customers in control of their tax affairs. They can use it at a time that suits them, from a device of their choice, securely, and without having to call or write to HMRC.”

More services are being added to the Personal Tax Account all the time, but currently customers can:

• check their state pension
• complete and return a Self Assessment tax return
• update tax credits circumstances as they change throughout the year to prevent under and overpayments.
• claim an Income Tax refund that will be paid straight into their bank account so they don’t have to wait 14 days for a cheque in the post
• check and update their Marriage Allowance.

Notes for Editors

1.  Customers can access their Personal Tax Account on any device - PC, tablet or smartphone. It’s easy to get started and takes less than five minutes.

2.  Go to Personal Tax Account on GOV.UK

3.  Customers will need to set up a Government Gateway account (unless they already have one). To do this they will need:

-  their National Insurance number

-  either a recent payslip or P60 (a passport can be used if you don’t have these)

-  a telephone number to receive the one-time security code.

4.  To set up a repayment, customers will need to notify us of their bank account details.

5.  The Self Assessment deadline is 31 January and the Personal Tax Account is the easiest place to submit a return. Following its launch last December, the Personal Tax Account proved so popular and simple to use that 850,000 customers chose to submit their 2014/15 SA return through the service between 1-31 January.

6.  For more information on the Personal tax Account go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/your-personal-tax-account

7.  Follow HMRC’s Press Office on Twitter @HMRCpressoffice

8.  HMRC’s Flickr channel www.flickr.com/hmrcgovuk