How to Find My UTR Number: Where HMRC Puts It and What to Do If It’s Lost
By Marina Jahan · Reviewed by Shamayun Chowdhury, CIMA · Tax year 2026/27 · Last reviewed [September 2026]
The tax return is open on your screen, every box is filled, and the form asks for one number you don’t have to hand: your UTR. It’s a common moment of panic, and usually an unnecessary one. HMRC prints this number on almost everything it sends you, and if you’re registered online it’s a couple of taps away.
If you’re searching for how to find UTR number details in a hurry, this guide shows the places it normally sits, how to read it once you’ve found it, and what to do if it truly can’t be found.
Quick answer
The quickest way is to open the HMRC app, or log in to your personal tax account on GOV.UK, and head to Self Assessment, where the UTR is displayed. You’ll also find it on past tax returns and on HMRC letters about Self Assessment, sometimes labelled “reference” rather than “UTR”. If none of those works, HMRC can post it to you after checking your identity, and it will be the same number you had before.
One thing to check first
This page is about the UK Unique Taxpayer Reference used by HMRC. In Indian banking, “UTR” means a Unique Transaction Reference for a bank transfer, which is a different thing altogether. If you’re tracking a payment to India, your bank’s statement or app is the place to look.
Where is my UTR number? Start with these five spots
Try them roughly in this order. The first two settle it for most people.
- The HMRC app. Once you’re logged in, the Self Assessment area displays it.
- Your personal tax account. Sign in on GOV.UK and look under Self Assessment.
- A previous tax return. Your UTR number on tax return copies, paper or online, appears on every return you’ve filed.
- HMRC letters about Self Assessment. Notices to file, payment reminders, statements of account and your first welcome letter all carry it.
- Your accountant. If someone has filed for you, the UTR will be on their file and on copies of returns they sent you.
Find UTR number online: the app and your tax account
Online is usually the fastest route, provided you can sign in. Signing in takes your Government Gateway details or, for people who joined HMRC more recently, a GOV.UK One Login.
Your UTR number on HMRC app screens sits under Self Assessment, listed with your account details. Looking for the UTR number? Personal tax account users on a computer see the same reference in the Self Assessment section. To see your UTR number, Government Gateway or One Login sign-in comes first. If you can’t get past that screen, our guide to recovering a Government Gateway ID sorts that out first.
UTR number on HMRC letters
On paper, the UTR is usually printed near the top of the page, often on the right. It won’t always say “UTR”. Depending on the letter, HMRC may label it:
- Unique Taxpayer Reference, or UTR
- Reference, or Tax reference
- Official use
The letter most people keep, sometimes without realising, is the one HMRC sends after you first register for Self Assessment. If you’ve kept anything from that time, start there. Statements of account and reminders about payments on account are the next best bet.
Places it won’t be
Your UTR doesn’t appear on payslips, P60s or P45s from an employer. Those show your National Insurance number and tax code, which are different references. It isn’t on your VAT certificate either, unless HMRC has printed it separately.
What does a UTR number look like?
Most personal UTRs are ten digits long, and HMRC often prints them in two groups of five. A typical UTR number example, using HMRC’s own placeholder rather than a real number, is 12345 67890.
Ten digits, or thirteen?
HMRC’s own guidance for its online forms says a Self Assessment UTR can be 10 or 13 digits long. If you see a longer string on a document, the last ten digits are normally the core reference. When a form asks for a ten-digit UTR, enter those last ten.
The letter K at the end
On some payment references, HMRC adds the letter K after the UTR, for example 1234567890K. The K isn’t part of your UTR. Leave it out when a form asks for your Unique Taxpayer Reference, but keep it in when you’re paying Self Assessment tax, because it tells HMRC which account the money belongs to.
How company references appear
Limited companies are given a separate UTR for Corporation Tax. On some HMRC documents, particularly payment references, the company’s ten-digit UTR sits within a longer string that includes extra characters before and after it. The ten-digit core is the company UTR; the rest is there to route payments correctly.
How many digits is a UTR number, at a glance
| What you see | What to enter as your UTR |
|---|---|
| 10 digits, e.g. 12345 67890 | All ten digits |
| 10 digits followed by K | The ten digits, without the K |
| 13 digits | The last ten digits, unless the form asks for all thirteen |
| A longer company payment reference | The ten-digit company UTR within it |
A UTR also never changes. It stays with you for life, so a number from an old return is still valid today.
Lost UTR number? How to get it back from HMRC
If the app, your tax account and your paperwork have all drawn a blank, HMRC can tell you your number. A lost UTR isn’t replaced: HMRC gives you back the same reference you’ve always had, so there’s no risk of ending up with two.
Forgot UTR number details? Four steps to get them back
- Exhaust the online options. Logging in to the app or your tax account is worth one more go before anything else. Recovering your sign-in details is often quicker than waiting for a letter.
- Gather your details. Keep your National Insurance number, date of birth, full name and current address beside you, since HMRC will use them to confirm it’s you.
- Request UTR number from HMRC by phone. Ring the Self Assessment helpline, which at the time of writing is 0300 200 3310, and ask for your UTR. Check GOV.UK for current numbers and opening times before you call.
- Wait for the letter. After confirming who you are, HMRC normally posts the UTR to the address on your record rather than reading it out, so make sure that address is up to date.
If you’ve moved since you last dealt with HMRC, update your address first. Otherwise the letter goes to your old home.
UTR number not received after registering
After registering for Self Assessment, HMRC usually posts your UTR about 15 days later, and it can take longer if you live abroad. Once that window has gone by with no letter, ring the Self Assessment helpline. Registering again won’t help: a second application only creates confusion and delay.
Leaving it close to a deadline
Because HMRC normally sends the UTR by post, a lost number found on 25 January leaves very little room before the 31 January filing deadline. If you think you’ll need your UTR soon, for a return, a mortgage application or to set up an accountant, start looking now rather than the week it’s needed.
Finding a company UTR number
Every limited company has its own UTR for Corporation Tax, and a limited company UTR number is separate from the personal UTRs of its directors. To find company UTR number details, start with the places below. It’s sent by post to the registered office soon after incorporation.
Where a company UTR is kept
- In the company’s Business Tax Account, once it’s registered for HMRC online services
- In the HMRC app, for those who manage the company’s tax there
- Printed on Corporation Tax correspondence and returns, such as HMRC’s notice to file a company return
- With your accountant, if one filed for the company
Request company UTR online
If none of those turns it up, you can ask HMRC for a copy online. You’ll need the company registration number from Companies House, and HMRC sends the UTR by post to the registered office. If your company uses a formation agent’s or accountant’s address as its registered office, check with them: the letter will go there, not to your home.
Is there a company UTR number lookup?
Not a public one. Companies House shows a company’s registration number, directors and filings, but UTRs are confidential and don’t appear on the public register. Nor can anyone look up your UTR for you online. Searching for a “company UTR number lookup” will only take you to the request route above or to sites that can’t legitimately help.
A limited company’s Corporation Tax UTR is also what you’ll see quoted when paying Corporation Tax. For more on how company tax works under Making Tax Digital, see our guide to MTD for limited companies.
Directors, partners and the self-employed: which UTR do you need?
The commonest UTR mix-up isn’t losing the number. It’s using the wrong one. Your situation decides how many UTRs you have and which goes where.
| You are | Your UTRs | Which one to use when |
|---|---|---|
| A sole trader | One personal UTR, covering all your trades and any lettings | Every Self Assessment return and payment |
| A company director | The company’s UTR, plus your own personal UTR if you file Self Assessment | Company UTR for Corporation Tax; personal UTR for your own return |
| A partner in a partnership | The partnership’s UTR, plus your own personal UTR | Partnership UTR for the partnership return; personal UTR for your own |
| A landlord | One personal UTR, covering all your properties | Your Self Assessment return |
| A CIS subcontractor | Your personal UTR, or your company’s if you trade through one | Registering with HMRC for CIS and when contractors verify you |
One person, several numbers
A director who also lets a flat may have two UTRs: the company’s and their own. Mixing them up can send a payment to the wrong account or delay a return. Keep a note of each UTR alongside what it’s for, in the same place you keep your sign-in details.
Running more than one business yourself
As a sole trader you have one personal UTR, however many trades you run. Your hairdressing, your online shop and your rental flat all sit under the same reference on one Self Assessment return. You don’t need a new UTR for each new venture.
How to get a UTR number for the first time
There’s no stand-alone application form. The number is created automatically once you register for Self Assessment, or once a company has been incorporated.
Do I need a UTR number?
Only if you’re required to complete a Self Assessment return. In practice that usually means you’re self-employed with more than £1,000 of trading income in a tax year, you receive rental income, or you have other income HMRC hasn’t taxed at source. Someone whose only income is a salary taxed under PAYE usually has no UTR and no use for one.
Registering and how long it takes
Register for Self Assessment on GOV.UK, with your National Insurance number to hand. The UTR then arrives by post, typically around 15 days afterwards, with overseas addresses waiting longer. For a first tax year, you must tell HMRC by 5 October after the tax year ends that you need to file, so for 2025/26 the date was 5 October 2026. Registering at the last minute is a frequent cause of late returns.
UTR number vs National Insurance number, and other HMRC references
| Reference | What it is for | Where you’ll find it |
|---|---|---|
| Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) | Identifies your Self Assessment, or a company’s Corporation Tax, record | HMRC app, personal or business tax account, tax returns, HMRC letters |
| National Insurance number | Records your National Insurance and tax across your working life | Payslips, P60s, your National Insurance letter, the HMRC app |
| Tax code | Sets how much tax an employer or pension scheme deducts | Shown on payslips and on HMRC’s coding notices |
| Government Gateway user ID | Lets you sign in to HMRC online services | The email HMRC sent when you registered |
| VAT registration number | The reference for a business registered for VAT | Printed on the VAT certificate and each VAT return |
People mix up the UTR and National Insurance number more than any other pair. Everyone who works in the UK has a National Insurance number; only people and businesses registered for Self Assessment or Corporation Tax have a UTR.
Moments when you’ll be asked for your UTR
- Sending a Self Assessment return, whether online or on paper
- Paying Self Assessment tax, where the UTR followed by K is the payment reference
- Appointing an accountant, who will ask for it to act for you
- Signing up for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, which requires you to be registered for Self Assessment already
- Signing up as a subcontractor under the Construction Industry Scheme
- Some mortgage and loan applications, where lenders ask for proof of self-employed income
For the Making Tax Digital side, our guide to signing up for MTD explains what HMRC checks before it lets you register.
Common UTR mix-ups
Entering the K. It belongs on payments, not in the UTR box on forms.
Putting the company’s UTR on your own return, or yours on the company’s. Directors usually have both. Check which record you’re dealing with.
Treating the Gateway user ID as if it were the UTR. One identifies your tax record; the other lets you sign in. They are different numbers.
Registering again to get a new UTR. A second registration doesn’t produce a fresh number and can cause delays. Ask HMRC for your existing one instead.
Waiting until the deadline week. Anything that comes by post needs time to reach you, so start looking well before you need it.
Rather we kept track of your references?
Once you’ve authorised us as your agent, dealing with HMRC is our job rather than yours, and references like your UTR stop being something you need to hunt for each January. We prepare and file your return, and for clients inside Making Tax Digital we send every quarterly update as well.
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Can’t find your UTR and the deadline’s close?
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UTR questions
How do I find my UTR number quickly?
Head to Self Assessment in the HMRC app or your tax account. No access? An old tax return or any Self Assessment letter from HMRC will show it.
Where can I find my UTR number on paper?
Near the top of HMRC letters about Self Assessment, and on every tax return you’ve filed. Look for a label such as “reference”, “tax reference” or “official use”; HMRC doesn’t always spell out UTR.
I have lost my UTR number. Will HMRC give me a new one?
No. HMRC will confirm your identity and send you the same UTR you already had, usually by post to the address on your record.
Is there a UTR number lookup online?
There’s no public lookup. You can find your own UTR by signing in to the HMRC app or your tax account, and companies can request a copy online.
How do I check UTR number accuracy?
A personal UTR is usually ten digits, sometimes shown as 13. Compare it with a previous tax return or HMRC letter, and make sure you haven’t added the K used on payment references.
How long does it take to get a UTR number?
Allow roughly 15 days after registering for Self Assessment for the letter to arrive, and more if your address is outside the UK.
Is my UTR on my payslip?
No. Payslips show your National Insurance number and tax code, not your UTR.
Do I need a UTR number if I’m employed?
In most cases, no. Employees taxed through PAYE don’t normally have one unless they also need to file a Self Assessment return.
Finding it, keeping it
Start with the HMRC app or your personal tax account, then old returns and letters, where the number may be labelled “reference”. If it still won’t turn up, HMRC will post your existing UTR after checking who you are, so allow time before any deadline. Once you have it, note it down with your sign-in details: it won’t change for the rest of your life. If you’re also wrestling with sign-in, our Government Gateway ID guide is the next stop.
This page explains Unique Taxpayer References as they work in October 2026 and isn’t personal tax advice. HMRC’s contact details and processes can change; check GOV.UK before relying on them.
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