Employer registration
We register your company as an employer with HMRC, the required first step before running payroll.
Tax & registration
PAYE Registration Setup
Before you can pay a salary to yourself or an employee, your company needs an employer PAYE scheme with HMRC. We set it up for you and get you your PAYE reference — ready to run payroll.
- Registered as an employer
- Get your PAYE reference
- Ready to run payroll
- Overseas founders welcome
Why it helps
Get set up to pay a salary
Paying yourself or staff through your company means operating PAYE — and that starts with registering as an employer with HMRC. We handle the registration so you can get on with paying people.
PAYE reference number
You receive your employer PAYE reference and accounts office reference, needed to operate payroll.
Ready to run payroll
Once registered, you can pay salaries, deduct tax and National Insurance, and report to HMRC.
Even for a single director
If you take a salary as the only director, you still need a PAYE scheme — we set it up either way.
Done correctly
A correct registration avoids the delays that stop you paying people on time.
Overseas founders too
We set up employer schemes for companies run from outside the UK as well.
Employer status, sorted
Registered with HMRC and issued your PAYE reference.
Included
What the setup covers
Everything needed to become an employer in HMRC’s eyes and start paying people.
- HMRC employer registrationYour company registered to operate PAYE.
- PAYE reference numberPlus your accounts office reference.
- Ready to run payrollPay salaries and report to HMRC.
- Works for a single-director salaryNeeded even if you are the only person paid.
- Support for overseas-run companiesWe set up schemes for non-UK founders too.
Step by step
How it works
- 1
Tell us who you will pay
Yourself, employees, or both, and when payroll should start.
- 2
We register you
We set your company up as an employer with HMRC.
- 3
You get your references
Your PAYE and accounts office references are issued.
- 4
You run payroll
You can pay salaries and report deductions to HMRC.
When you need a PAYE scheme
You need to register as an employer and operate PAYE if you pay anyone — including yourself as a director — a salary that reaches the point where tax or National Insurance is due, or where an employee has another job or receives certain benefits.
In practice, most director-owned companies that pay any salary need a PAYE scheme. If you are not sure whether yours does, that is worth getting right before the first payday.
- Required to pay salaries through your company
- Applies to a director’s own salary, not just staff
- Best set up before your first payroll run
PAYE ref
Your employer reference, issued on registration
One-time
With your accounts office reference, ready for payroll.
What PAYE actually involves
Once registered, operating PAYE means calculating and deducting Income Tax and National Insurance from salaries, paying those to HMRC, and reporting each pay run in real time. Registration is what makes all of that possible.
We handle the registration and hand you the references you need. From there you can run payroll yourself or with a payroll provider — the scheme is in place either way.
- Deduct tax and National Insurance from pay
- Report each pay run to HMRC in real time
- Registration is the essential first step
Add-ons
Set up the rest of your HMRC obligations
PAYE is one HMRC registration — here are others founders often need.
FAQ
PAYE registration questions
Do I need PAYE if I am the only director?
If you pay yourself a salary through the company that reaches the point where tax or National Insurance is due, then yes — you need an employer PAYE scheme even as a sole director. We set it up whether you are paying yourself, staff, or both.
What do I get from the registration?
Your company is registered as an employer with HMRC, and you receive your employer PAYE reference and accounts office reference — the references you need to operate payroll and report to HMRC.
Does this include running my payroll?
This service sets up the scheme and gets you your references. From there you can run payroll yourself or with a payroll provider — the scheme is in place either way.
Can you set up PAYE for a company run from abroad?
Yes. We set up employer PAYE schemes for companies run from outside the UK as well as UK-based ones.
When should I register?
Before your first payday. Having the scheme and references in place ahead of your first pay run means you can pay people on time and report correctly from the start.
Get set up to run payroll
We register your company as an employer with HMRC and get you your PAYE reference.