Registering and getting started with PAYE

Please note: PAYE guidance from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) can be found on the GOV.UK website. We provide links to the key information below.

PAYE and payroll for employers
How to set up and run a payroll as an employer and what records you must keep.

Register as an employer
How to register as an employer with HMRC.

PAYE Online for employers
Using PAYE Online to send payroll reports, access tax codes and notices and get alerts from HMRC.

Find payroll software
Choose the payroll software that suits your business needs.

Get ready to employ someone for the first time: step by step
Check what you need to do as an employer before you can take on an employee for the first time.

Tell HM Revenue & Customs about a new employee
Check you need to pay them through PAYE, use their P45 or other information to work out the right tax code to set them up on your payroll software.

Basic PAYE Tools guidance for employers
How to install onto a networked computer and other tasks such as employee leaves, earlier year update.

Employment status: enquiries
Call or write to HMRC to check if you or someone else is classed as employed or self-employed.

Download HMRC's Basic PAYE Tools
Free payroll software from HMRC for businesses with fewer than 10 employees.

Find out which employers are exempt from online payroll reporting
Guidance setting out who can report payroll on paper, instead of online, and how to apply.

Employment allowance
Find if you qualify for £5,000 a year off your National Insurance bill if you are an employer.

Employment status
Employment status - worker, employee, self-employed, director or contractor - affects employment rights and employer responsibilities in the workplace.

National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage
Guidance for employers on the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage which includes a helpful calculator.