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Set up your Tide Payroll

Having trouble with your PAYE details?

Having trouble with your PAYE details?

If you've been trying to enter your PAYE details, but keep getting the error that HMRC couldn't validate your credentials, follow these steps:

  1. Wait for the two letters from HMRC to arrive – the first with references and the second with your activation code

  2. Enter your activation code* on the HMRC website – this will activate your references

  3. Add your references to your app – connect your HMRC account to Tide Payroll and sync your employer references. Read on to find out how

* If you haven't entered your code within 28 days of the date on the letter, you'll need to request a new one.

Having trouble with your login details?

Having trouble with your login details?

Before you contact HMRC, confirm you have the correct login details. Sometimes you may be entering:

  • Auto-filled login details – when logging in at gov.uk, don't rely on your browser or password manager to pre-fill in your details

  • Your personal account details – at the top of your page, it should say "Business Tax Account" for your business account details

  • Your login details for another business account – sometimes business account details can get mixed up

Need help resetting your password or reactivating your account?

Need help resetting your password or reactivating your account?

If none of the above steps work, it may be because you:

  • Need to reset your password – you may need to change your password to regain access to your account

  • Haven't used your account for months – sometimes, HMRC may freeze or close your account. You'd need to reactivate it by reaching out to HMRC by contacting gov.uk

If you need further support with setting up your Payroll on HMRC, contact gov.uk.

Step 4: Sync your employer references

Having registered with HMRC in Step 1, you'll now have your 'Employer PAYE Reference' and your 'Accounts Office Reference' mentioned in Step 2.

  1. On your app's Payroll homescreen, tap Sync your references

  2. Add your references to your Tide Payroll

  3. Tap Save employer references to confirm them

You've now connected your account to HMRC, and are ready to add in your information and schedule your first payday.

Pay your employees with Payment Initiation Service (PIS)

PIS* allows you to make a Payroll payment from your external bank account via your Tide app:

  1. Go to the Admin tab

  2. Tap Payroll > Pay Salaries

  3. Authorise the payment and approve it securely

* PIS is regulated under Open Banking and PSD2 (in the EU/UK), and uses secure connections. Your login credentials are never shared with the app.

Find out if your bank's supported

We support most major banks. See a list of available banks:

  1. Go to the Admin tab

  2. Tap Payroll > Pay Salaries

If your bank is not on this list, you should use an alternative payment method, i.e. a regular bank transfer or use your Tide account.

Troubleshooting your payments

Get in touch with your bank if your payment was a mistake or was returned.