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🏛️ HMRC Registration

HMRC Registration UK —
All Your Tax Registrations, Completed Correctly

Complete HMRC registration service for UK businesses — Corporation Tax, PAYE, VAT, Self Assessment and Construction Industry Scheme. We register all applicable taxes correctly, obtain all reference numbers and become your HMRC agent for ongoing correspondence. ACCA qualified. Fixed fee.

✓ Corporation Tax✓ PAYE Registration✓ VAT Registration✓ Self Assessment✓ HMRC Agent
🏛️ Corporation Tax — within 3 months of trading
💰 PAYE — before first pay date
📊 VAT — £90k threshold monitored
🔑 UTR & ERN numbers — obtained for you
⚡ HMRC agent authority — we handle all correspondence
What It Covers

HMRC Registration — Every Tax, Every Registration, Correctly

Every UK business has HMRC registration obligations — but which taxes you need to register for, when you must register and the penalties for late registration vary significantly. We assess your specific situation and complete every required registration, obtaining all reference numbers and establishing HMRC agent authority so we can deal with HMRC directly on your behalf from day one.

Corporation Tax — UK limited companies must notify HMRC of chargeability to Corporation Tax within 3 months of starting to trade. HMRC issues a Corporation Tax reference number (UTR) and sets up your CT online account. Companies that fail to notify face a failure-to-notify penalty of up to 30% of unpaid tax — in addition to interest on late payment.

PAYE — employers must register for PAYE with HMRC before making any payment to employees. HMRC issues an Employer Reference Number (ERN/PAYE reference) and Accounts Office Reference. These are needed to file RTI submissions on or before each pay date. We register new employers for PAYE and set up the payroll scheme correctly — including Employment Allowance eligibility assessment from day one.

VAT — compulsory registration when taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period (within 30 days). Voluntary registration is available below the threshold. Current HMRC processing time for VAT registrations is 30-40 working days — meaning early application is critical for businesses approaching the threshold. We track turnover for all clients and initiate VAT registration at the optimal time.

✅ What’s Included

  • Corporation Tax registration (CT600 UTR)
  • PAYE employer scheme registration
  • Employer Reference Number (ERN)
  • Accounts Office Reference
  • VAT registration
  • VAT scheme selection & advice
  • Self Assessment registration (UTR)
  • CIS registration (contractors/subcontractors)
  • HMRC agent authorisation — all taxes
  • 64-8 agent authority forms
  • HMRC online account access setup
  • Ongoing HMRC correspondence handled
How It Works

Our Process — Clear, Fast & Complete

1
Tax assessment — what you need
We assess which HMRC registrations apply to your business — CT, PAYE, VAT, SA, CIS — based on your business type, trading activity and expected turnover.
2
Registrations filed simultaneously
All required registrations filed with HMRC simultaneously — minimising delay and ensuring nothing is missed. Most reference numbers received within 5-10 working days.
3
HMRC agent authority established
We submit 64-8 agent authority forms for all applicable taxes — giving us the ability to deal with HMRC directly on your behalf from day one.
4
All reference numbers confirmed
Once all HMRC reference numbers are received, we provide a complete summary — CT UTR, PAYE ERN, VAT number, SA UTR — and confirm agent authority is active.
3 months
CT registration deadline after starting to trade — penalty for late registration
30-40 days
Current HMRC VAT registration processing time — apply early
30%
Maximum failure-to-notify penalty — applied to unpaid tax for unregistered period
“Britvex registered us for Corporation Tax, PAYE and VAT simultaneously within a week of our incorporation. We had all reference numbers and they were already our HMRC agent before we made our first sale.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — E-Commerce Startup, London
Who It’s For

Which Businesses Need This Service?

🏢

Newly Incorporated Companies

All new limited companies need CT registration within 3 months of trading. PAYE before the first salary. VAT when approaching the threshold. We handle all registrations as a single coordinated service.

👤

New Sole Traders

Self-employed individuals need Self Assessment registration and, when approaching £90,000 turnover, VAT registration. CIS registration if working in construction. We advise on all applicable registrations.

🌍

Overseas Businesses in UK

International businesses with UK operations face HMRC registration requirements across multiple taxes — sometimes simultaneously. We assess the UK tax registration landscape for every international client.

🔄

Businesses Changing Structure

Sole traders incorporating, partnerships converting to LLPs, or companies changing their trading structure all require new HMRC registrations and potentially de-registrations of old ones. We manage the full transition.

Common Mistakes

4 Costly Mistakes — And How We Prevent Them

❌ Missing the 3-month Corporation Tax deadline

Many new company directors are unaware of the 3-month CT registration requirement. HMRC may not automatically notify you — the obligation is on the company. Late registration creates a failure-to-notify penalty plus interest on any unpaid CT from the date trading started.

❌ Not registering for PAYE before the first salary

PAYE must be set up before making any payment to an employee or director taking salary. Paying wages before PAYE registration means RTI submissions cannot be filed on time — creating automatic HMRC penalties and a backlog of compliance work.

❌ Waiting for the VAT threshold to be exceeded before applying

With HMRC’s current 30-40 working day VAT processing time, businesses that apply for VAT only after exceeding the threshold face a period where they are legally required to charge VAT but don’t have a VAT number. Apply at least 6-8 weeks before you expect to breach the threshold.

❌ Not establishing HMRC agent authority immediately

Without formal HMRC agent authority, we cannot act as your representative with HMRC — we cannot respond to correspondence, request information or make submissions on your behalf without going through you. Establishing agent authority from day one means HMRC contacts us directly, not you.

Frequently Asked Questions

HMRC Registration — Your Questions Answered

What taxes does a new UK limited company need to register for?

A new UK limited company must register for: Corporation Tax (within 3 months of starting to trade), PAYE (before making any salary payment to directors or employees), and VAT (when taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in a rolling 12-month period or voluntarily if beneficial). If the company works in construction, CIS contractor registration is also required. We assess all applicable registrations for every new company.

How long does HMRC VAT registration take?

HMRC currently processes VAT registration applications in 30-40 working days — approximately 6-8 weeks. During this period, the business is legally required to charge VAT on sales above the threshold but doesn’t have a VAT number. We advise clients to apply for VAT registration at least 6-8 weeks before they expect to breach the £90,000 threshold to avoid this problem.

What is an Employer Reference Number (ERN)?

An Employer Reference Number (also called PAYE reference) is the unique identifier HMRC assigns to each employer’s PAYE scheme. It is used on all payroll correspondence with HMRC, on RTI submissions and on employees’ P45s and P60s. The ERN has the format NNN/AAAAAA (3-digit HMRC office code followed by a 6-character alphanumeric). We register new employers for PAYE and obtain the ERN before the first pay date.

Can I register for HMRC taxes myself?

Yes — most HMRC registrations can be completed online via HMRC’s Government Gateway. However, many businesses make errors in the registration process — particularly around start dates, accounting periods and scheme types — that create ongoing compliance problems. Having a professional accountant register on your behalf ensures all registrations are correct from the outset and that agent authority is established simultaneously.

What is HMRC agent authority and why does it matter?

HMRC agent authority (granted via a 64-8 form) allows your accountant to deal with HMRC directly on your behalf — accessing your HMRC records, responding to correspondence, making submissions and requesting information. Without agent authority, your accountant must go through you for every HMRC interaction. As your HMRC agent, we receive all HMRC correspondence directly, respond within 24 hours and protect your position without you needing to deal with HMRC directly.

Transparent Pricing

Fixed Fees — Agreed Upfront, No Surprises

Every fee is fixed and agreed before we start work. No hourly rates, no surprise invoices. Book a free consultation for your exact quote.

£99
CT Registration — Corporation Tax registration + HMRC agent authority.
£149
Full Business — CT + PAYE + VAT + CIS + Self Assessment. All taxes, one fee.
£49
VAT Only — VAT registration + scheme selection + MTD setup.

All packages include: dedicated account manager · HMRC & Companies House agent · client portal access · 2-hour response guarantee.

Related Services

Complete Your Business Package

🏢
Company Formation
Full formation including all HMRC registrations from day one. Learn more →
📊
VAT Returns
Ongoing quarterly VAT returns via MTD — from your first VAT quarter. Learn more →
💼
Payroll
PAYE payroll processing — RTI filing from your first pay date. Learn more →
Business Services Specialists

HMRC Registration — All Taxes, Done Correctly

Book a free consultation. We’ll assess every HMRC registration your business needs, complete them simultaneously and establish full HMRC agent authority — all in one service.