How do I check my tax code online?

Sign in to your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk/personal-tax-account. The current tax code is shown on the PAYE section of the dashboard, alongside a breakdown of how it was calculated. The HMRC app (iOS/Android) shows the same information with biometric sign-in.

What is the standard UK tax code for 2026/27?

1257L — meaning £12,570 of tax-free Personal Allowance and the standard PA status. Any other code reflects an adjustment (company car, second job, marriage allowance, state pension, underpayment from previous year, or PA taper above £100k).

My tax code on my payslip is different from what HMRC shows online — why?

Payslip codes lag the HMRC online code by 1-4 pay periods. When HMRC issues a new code, your employer's payroll team has to receive and apply it before the next pay run. If the codes differ for more than 4-6 weeks, contact your payroll team directly and ask them to confirm they have the latest code from HMRC.

How to check your tax code online — 2026/27 step-by-step

Last reviewed by the UK Tax Drag editorial team · 12 May 2026 · How we review · Next review due 12 November 2026 · See what changed · Report an error

7-minute read

To check your tax code online: (1) Log in to your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk/personal-tax-account, (2) look for "Tax code" on the dashboard, (3) compare it to the code shown on your most recent payslip. The standard 2026/27 code is 1257L. Any code starting with K, ending in W1/M1, or showing as BR/D0/D1 should be reviewed. You can update most code-affecting information (job changes, benefit changes, marriage allowance) within the same account.

What is your tax code?

Your tax code tells your employer (or pension provider) how much tax-free pay you can earn before they start deducting tax. It usually has four digits and a letter — the digits multiplied by 10 give your tax-free allowance for the year.

1257L = £12,570 tax-free (the standard 2026/27 Personal Allowance), L means standard PA
1383L = £13,830 tax-free (Marriage Allowance recipient)
K150 = negative allowance of £1,500 (your benefits or untaxed income exceed your PA)
BR = basic rate (20%) on everything — usually a second job
D0 / D1 = 40% / 45% flat — usually multi-source higher-rate
0T = no PA at all (every penny taxed at standard bands)
1257L W1/M1 / X = emergency code (non-cumulative, only looks at this pay period)

Step-by-step: Personal Tax Account

Step 1: Sign in to your Personal Tax AccountGo to gov.uk/personal-tax-account. Sign in with either Government Gateway (older method) or GOV.UK One Login (newer, being rolled out 2025-26). If you don't have an account, you'll need: NI number, a recent payslip or P60 or passport/UK photocard driving licence, and a UK address.

Step 2: Find "Pay As You Earn (PAYE)" on the dashboardOnce signed in, look for the "PAYE" or "Tax code" section. Click into it. You'll see your current tax code displayed prominently with the date it was set and your current employer's PAYE reference.

Step 3: Review the breakdownHMRC shows a full breakdown of how the code was calculated: Personal Allowance (£12,570) + adjustments (e.g. Marriage Allowance + £1,260 transferred, BIK − £2,400 company car) = final allowance. The digits in your code are this final figure ÷ 10.

Step 4: Cross-check with your payslipThe tax code on your latest payslip should match what HMRC shows. If it doesn't match, there's a lag — payslips reflect codes that have been received and applied by your employer's payroll. The HMRC online code is the latest issued. If they differ for more than 4-6 weeks, contact your employer's payroll team.

Step 5: Update anything that's wrongWithin the same Personal Tax Account, you can update: job changes, leaving a job, ceasing/starting a company car, marriage allowance application, second income disclosure. Most updates take 7-14 days for HMRC to issue a new code to your employer.

Step-by-step: HMRC app

The HMRC app (iOS and Android, free) gives faster access to the same information.

Download "HMRC" from the App Store or Google Play (publisher: HM Revenue and Customs)
Open the app and sign in with the same credentials as your Personal Tax Account
Use Face ID / fingerprint for future sign-ins (set up first time you log in)
Tap "Tax code" on the home screen
Same breakdown shown — read in 30 seconds

App vs webThe app is faster for routine checks. The web version has more functionality — e.g. for filing or updating, the web version is better. Both pull from the same HMRC database in real time.

What every digit and letter means — 2026/27 reference

Code part	Meaning	Example
Digits (e.g. 1257)	Tax-free allowance ÷ 10. 1257 = £12,570 PA	1257L → £12,570 PA
L	Standard PA, no special status	1257L
M	Received £1,260 Marriage Allowance from spouse	1383M
N	Gave £1,260 Marriage Allowance to spouse	1131N
T	Code includes manual adjustments (HMRC review)	1257T
0T	No PA — every penny taxed	0T
BR	Basic rate (20%) on everything	BR
D0	Higher rate (40%) on everything	D0
D1	Additional rate (45%) on everything	D1
K (prefix)	Negative PA (BIK or untaxed income exceeds PA)	K150 → −£1,500 PA
W1 / M1 / X	Emergency, non-cumulative	1257L W1
NT	No tax (very rare — non-resident, etc.)	NT
S (prefix)	Scottish income tax bands	S1257L
C (prefix)	Welsh income tax bands	C1257L

5 reasons your code might differ from 1257L

Reason 1: Company car or other BIK

A BIK reduces your tax-free allowance. A £3,000/yr company car BIK takes your code from 1257L to 957L. Check the BIK figure on your P11D or via the Personal Tax Account — if it's wrong, write to HMRC immediately.

Reason 2: State Pension

If you receive State Pension, HMRC reduces your tax-free PA by the State Pension amount because the State Pension isn't taxed at source. A £11,500/yr State Pension takes a 1257L code to ~107L or even K-prefix in 2026/27.

Reason 3: Underpayment from a previous year

HMRC collects small underpayments (up to £3,000) by reducing your tax code in the next year. £1,000 owed will reduce your code by 100 digits. Check the code breakdown — if "underpayment from earlier years" appears, you can ask to spread the payment over a longer period.

Reason 4: Marriage Allowance transfer

If you've given or received Marriage Allowance, your code shows N (giver, code drops by ~126 digits) or M (receiver, code rises by ~126 digits). Check that the direction matches your intent.

Reason 5: PA taper (high earner)

Above £100,000 adjusted net income, your PA tapers by £1 for every £2 over £100k. HMRC adjusts the tax code based on expected ANI — but the adjustment is often inaccurate (e.g. doesn't account for pension contributions, Gift Aid). High earners should review and update their estimate.

What to do if your tax code is wrong

Option 1: Update onlineMost updates (job change, BIK change, marriage allowance, estimated salary change) can be done in the Personal Tax Account. HMRC issues a new code to your employer within 7-14 days.

Option 2: Call HMRC0300 200 3300 (PAYE general). Open Monday-Friday 8am-6pm. Average wait 15-30 minutes. Best window: Wednesday mid-afternoon.

Option 3: WriteIf the change is complex (e.g. disputing a BIK figure, requesting backdated correction), write to PAYE HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AS. See our template letters guide.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake 1: Assuming HMRC will fix it automatically.HMRC's automatic reconciliation (P800) runs only after the tax year ends in April-October. If you're being over-taxed mid-year, only you can flag it — HMRC's systems won't catch it until the year-end reconciliation.

Mistake 2: Confusing the payslip code with the HMRC code.Payslip codes lag the HMRC code by 1-4 pay periods. If you've just updated something, give the payroll team 4-6 weeks before assuming the update failed.

Mistake 3: Ignoring emergency codes for too long.W1/M1/X codes are intended as a stopgap when HMRC doesn't know your full year context (e.g. just started a job). They typically over-tax you if you have multiple income sources or pay drops between months. Resolve within 2-3 pay periods.

Mistake 4: Not checking after life events.New job, second job, end of job, marriage, pension start, company car start, child born (no direct code effect but triggers HICBC checks): always check your code within 4 weeks of any of these.

Decode your specific tax code

The tax-code decoder takes your exact code (BR, K150, 0T, S1257L, etc.) and explains what it means, why you might have it, and what to do if it's wrong.

Open the tax code decoder →

Sources and references

Personal Tax Account documentation from gov.uk/personal-tax-account. Tax code letter meanings from gov.uk/tax-codes. HMRC app from gov.uk HMRC app guidance. Scottish tax codes from gov.scot.

UK Tax Drag is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide regulated financial or tax advice — see the content disclaimer for the full position. The methodology page documents how every guide is built and reviewed.

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How to check your tax code online in 2026/27