Your tax code is used by your employer or pension provider to work out how much Income Tax to take from your pay or pension. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will tell them which code to use.
Find your tax code
Use the check your Income Tax online service within your Personal Tax Account to find your tax code for the current year. You can also view your tax code for:
- a previous tax year
- the next tax year
You’ll be asked to sign in with Government Gateway or create an account if you do not already have one.
Once signed in, you can also see:
- if your tax code has changed
- how much tax you’re likely to pay
You can also find your tax code on your payslip or tax code letter from HMRC.
If you think your tax code is wrong
If you think your tax code is wrong, you can update your employment details using the check your Income Tax online service.
How do I contact HMRC about my tax code?
If you think your tax code is wrong, you should contact HMRC. You can do this on the Income Tax Helpline 0300 200 3300.
Understanding your employees’ tax codes
You put an employee’s tax code into your payroll software to work out how much tax to deduct from their pay throughout the year.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
There’s a separate guide on tax codes if you’re an employee.
What you need to do
When you take on a new employee, you normally work out their tax code by using their P45. The code will usually be made up of several numbers and a letter, such as 1257L.
You usually need to update your employee’s tax code at the start of a new tax year. If the tax code changes during the year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will email you – you should update your payroll records as soon as possible.
Tax code 1257L
The most common tax code for tax year 2026 to 2026 is 1257L. It’s used for most people with one job and no untaxed income, unpaid tax or taxable benefits (for example a company car).
1257L is an emergency tax code only if followed by ‘W1’, ‘M1’ or ‘X’. Emergency codes can be used if a new employee doesn’t have a P45.