How to quickly confirm National Insurance numbers
25 June 2019
When taking on a new employee you will need to know their National Insurance (NI) number and if the employee doesn’t know it, the quickest way to obtain it is to ask them to use the HMRC App or their personal tax account (PTA) where they can view, print proof and share an image of their NI number.
By using their personal tax account or HMRC app, employees can immediately view, share or print a copy of their NI number confirmation letter.
However, if individuals are accessing their PTA for the first time and they do not have their NI number, they will be asked to provide their full name and postcode, which must match HMRC’s records. To confirm their identity, they may also be asked to provide information from a P60, a recent payslip or a valid passport.
Using the HMRC app to confirm an NI number
To use the HMRC App, individuals should sign in using the method they chose when they set up their PTA. For future access, they can choose the option to open using a passcode or fingerprint recognition. Confirming a NI number is just one of the PTA functions available – individuals can see their current and previous tax code, view and print the pay and tax details from their employment or update their name and address.
NI numbers can also be found on previous payslips, P60s, or letters about tax, pensions and benefits.
Employees can complete a form and HMRC will post their NI number to their home address (this can take up to 15 days).
And there is also the National Insurance Number Helpline. Lines are open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm on Saturday. HMRC will then post confirmation (again it can take up to 15 days using this method).
Using the correct NI number is important as it helps ensure HMRC records are correct, prevents incorrect information being issued and ultimately prevents more work for employers and HMRC.
This information was highlighted in the June edition of HMRC’s Employer Bulletin.