How do I provide my UTR?
You’ll need to take two clear images of the cheque - one of the front, and one of the back.
Make sure:
From here, tap ‘Profile & Settings’ > ‘Business details’ > ‘Tax and compliance’ and enter your UTR, and we'll have everything we need.
There are no other documents, objects or shadows around the cheque
It lays flat on a dark, plain surface, under good but not too bright light; preferably, the cheque shouldn’t be placed on wooden surface
All 4 corners of the cheque must be visible in the frame
I don't have my UTR, how do I find it?
When you’re ready to make the deposit:
When you register as self-employed with HMRC, they'll send your UTR in the post to your home address.
In the app, tap: ‘Get paid’ > ‘Deposit cash and cheques’ > ‘Deposit cheques’. If this is your first deposit - read and agree to the Terms & Conditions.
Enter the amount and reference, and tap ‘Next’.
Hold your camera horizontally over the cheque while the app captures the details. At the ‘Review photo’ stage, you’ll see a black-and-white image of the cheque. Make sure that all details are clearly visible – including the account number, sort code, signature, payee name, amount, and date. If any details are unclear, please retake the cheque images.
Once you’ve confirmed that everything is correct, you can submit the cheque deposit.
When will I receive my cheque deposit?
If you're a sole trader or director of a limited company, you'll have a Personal UTR. Log in to your personal tax account and you'll see your UTR onscreen.
If you're the director of a limited company, you'll also have a Corporation Tax UTR. Log in to your business tax account and you'll see your UTR onscreen.
You can use HMRC’s Corporation Tax UTR finder to have it sent to your registered business address. You’ll need your company registration number, which you can find by searching your company name in Companies House.
Your UTR will also be in any previous tax returns or documents you've received from HMRC.
If you have an accountant and have completed your tax returns at least once, they should have it. Just ask your accountant to send it to you.
If you have a Virtual Office Address through Hoxton, HMRC will send you your UTR there. Once it arrives you can view it digitally in your app by following these steps.
I've asked for my UTR from HMRC, and it'll be sent to me in 21 days. What do I do?
Cheques will normally clear in 2 business days.
On the back of the cheque itself, make a note of the date you deposited it. Keep the paper cheque for your records.
If you’ve enabled your in-app notifications, you’ll see a message to confirm the cheque payment. It will show on your transactions timeline, and in your monthly statement - as ‘Cheque’.
Tap ‘Support’ > ‘Messages’ in your Tide app and type the message: UTR Extension.
Our team will action this and you'll then be able to use your app normally while waiting for your UTR to arrive.
I've tried to provide my UTR but it's not working, what do I do?
Technical issues are usually fixed by closing your app, updating it to the latest version, and trying again.
If this doesn't work, contact our team by tapping 'Support' > 'Messages'.
Why do I need to provide my UTR?
UK Financial Institutions need to comply with global automatic exchange of information regimes including FATCA and the Common Reporting Standard.
As part of this, Financial Institutions are required to obtain a 'self-certification' from all customers to establish their tax residency.
There is no set format for that certification, but requesting Tax Identification Numbers as a way of establishing where customers are resident for tax purposes is an accepted approach, even where those customers might not be reportable under the rules.
Put simply, we need to be able to identify your tax residency to comply with global regulations. Your UTR is an official piece of information that allows us to do this.
Who do you report my UTR to?
We only report your UTR to HMRC, as part of the regulations mentioned above.
