09 June 2026
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is introducing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for agent accounts to improve security and better protect both agents and their clients.
From 10 June 2026, agents will be able to choose when MFA is applied to their account by completing an online form. This form will be available from this date when signing into either an ‘agent service account’ or an ‘HMRC online services for agent account’. If MFA has already been activated, the form will not appear on the account.
There are two optional early activation dates:
- 15 July 2026 by opting in by midnight 30 June 2026
- 19 August 2026 by opting in by midnight 31 July 2026.
If neither of these early activation dates are chosen, MFA will be automatically applied between 28 September and 15 October 2026.
If an agent has multiple agent IDs, they can choose different activation dates for each.
Once MFA is activated, a one-time code will need to be entered when signing in, in addition to the usual Government Gateway credentials. The code can be received by SMS text message, via an Authenticator app, or a voice call.
Further guidance can be found in the Tax Agent Handbook on Gov.uk.
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