Child Benefit
A regular payment if you are responsible for a child under 16, or under 20 in approved education or training. Claims can only be backdated 3 months.
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HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Collects taxes and National Insurance and pays Child Benefit. You deal with it for Income Tax, Self Assessment, PAYE and your tax code.
Contact
HMRC enquiries
Find HMRC contact details and helpline opening hours.
- Contact form
- gov.uk/contact-hmrc
Check when you can expect a reply from HMRC
Find out when you can expect to receive a reply from HMRC to a query or request you've made.
We only list official numbers. Beware of websites showing 084, 087, 09 or 118 numbers that connect you to a public body at a premium rate.
Related procedures
Become a sole trader (self-employed)
Register with HMRC for Self Assessment, keep records and pay Income Tax and National Insurance on your profits.
Register for VAT
You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover goes over the threshold. You can also register voluntarily.
Register as an employer (PAYE)
Before you pay staff, register with HMRC as an employer to get your PAYE reference. Limited companies must register even if the only person paid is a single director.
File company accounts and the confirmation statement
Every private limited company must file annual accounts with Companies House, a Company Tax Return with HMRC and a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months.
Help with childcare costs
Tax-Free Childcare and free childcare hours for eligible families. Check what you can get before booking a nursery.
Apply for probate (confirmation in Scotland)
Probate is the legal right to deal with the money, property and possessions (the 'estate') of someone who has died. Scotland calls it 'confirmation' and Northern Ireland has its own Probate Office, so check the rules for the nation where the person lived.
Apply for a National Insurance number
Your NI number records your tax and contributions. You can start work before you get it if you can prove your right to work.
HMRC personal tax account
Check your tax code, income, National Insurance record and update your details with HMRC online.
Self Assessment tax return
Needed if you are self-employed or have income not taxed at source. Register by 5 October after the tax year; the online deadline is 31 January.
National Minimum Wage and Living Wage
The current legal minimum hourly rates by age and for apprentices. The rates change every 1 April.
Claim a tax refund
If you paid too much tax through your job or pension, HMRC usually sends a tax calculation letter (P800) after the tax year ends. You can also claim for job expenses, savings interest, foreign income and more.
Check or change your tax code
Your employer or pension provider uses your tax code to work out how much Income Tax to take from your pay. A wrong code means you pay too much or too little.
Marriage Allowance
If you are married or in a civil partnership and earn less than your Personal Allowance, you can transfer part of it to your partner so they pay less tax. Couples who only live together cannot claim.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
If you are an employee and too ill to work, your employer pays you Statutory Sick Pay for up to 28 weeks. Your contract may give you more, never less.
Maternity and paternity leave and pay
Employees can take up to 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave and up to 2 weeks of Paternity Leave. Statutory pay depends on how long you have worked for your employer and how much you earn.
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Contact data source: GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0, updated 12 October 2026.