For some taxes, an agent will send you a link which allows you to authorise them to deal with HMRC on your behalf — this is known as the digital handshake.

For

Tax someservices taxes, an agent will send you a link which allows you to authorise them to deal with HMRC on your behalf — this is known as the digital handshake.

Services you can authorise your agent to use on your behalf

You can use the stepsdigital onhandshake this page to authorise an agent to act on your behalf for the following tax services:

• MakingIncome TaxRecord Digital for VATViewer
• Manage a Capital Gains Tax on UK property account
• Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
• ManagingManage Plastic Packaging Tax
• managing a trust or estate
• ManagePillar Plastic Packaging Tax2
• VAT

For other taxes, talk to your agent about how they can get authorised.

Your agent may ask you to authorise them in your business tax account. They will give you information about how to do this. Find out how you can authorise your agent through your business tax account.

If you want a friend or family member to manage your tax, they must use the Trusted Helper service.

If your business uses members of staff to manage your business tax affairs, they cannot be authorised as a tax agent,agent. theyThey should use your business’s online tax accountaccount.

How to authorise your agent to deal with certain taxes on your behalf

1. SignYour upagent towill eachcreate taxan serviceauthorisation you want the agent to deal withrequest

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Signservice, upsign for:

• Makingin Taxto Digitalyour forpersonal VAT
• Manageor abusiness Capitaltax Gainsaccount Taxto on UK property account
either:
• Makingcheck Taxthat Digitalthe forservice Incomeis Taxdisplayed
• Manageadd athe trustservice orto estate
• Manageyour Plastic Packaging Taxaccount

Other ways to sign up

Your agent can alsoonly sign you up to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax butif you must have alreadyregistered submittedfor a Self Assessment taxand returnalready orsubmitted signeda uptax to Self Assessment.return.

2.

If Tell your agent thatcannot you’vesign signedyou up tofor thea particular tax services

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1. Sign signed you up forto aeach tax service,service you mustwant makethe sureagent itto hasdeal beenwith.
2. Tell added to your Governmentagent Gatewaythat useryou’ve ID.

   Ifsigned youup want them to managethe atax Capitalservice, Gainsand Taxgive onthem UKtax-specific propertyinformation account,to youallow mustthem alsoto tellcreate them the accountauthorisation or reference number.

   request.

3.2. Respond to the authorisation request from your agent

Your agent will send you an email with a link. Select the link and sign in with the Governmentsign Gatewayin userdetails ID you use for the tax service you need to authorise your agent for. You may have more than one account, so make sure you use the correct ID.sign in details.

The link will expire after 21 days. If you have not responded by then, you’ll need to ask your agent to send another link.

You may be asked to verify your identity before you can give authorisation to your agent.

If you authorise your agent for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, they can submit your Self Assessment tax returns on your behalf. You must check the information in your tax return is correct and let your agent know, before they submit it to us.

You are responsible for your own tax affairs, even if you authorise someone to act on your behalf.

You must keep the email that your agent sends you as you may need to use this link if you decide to remove your agent.

Change or remove your agent’s authorisation status

You can manage and remove your agent’s authorisation in your personal tax account or business tax account.

Find out more information on how to change or remove agent authorisation.