Telling HMRC About a Name Change After Marriage
HMRC is the UK step people skip because nothing visibly breaks — until a P60, a tax refund, or a pension record turns up in a name that no longer matches your ID. It's free and takes ten minutes online, and it updates your National Insurance record at the same time.
How to do it
- Sign in to your personal tax account at GOV.UK (Government Gateway) and choose "change your name".
- Enter the new name and the reason (marriage, civil partnership, divorce, deed poll). No documents are normally required.
- Tell the separate services you use: Child Benefit, tax credits, the Pension Service, Student Loans Company — each holds its own record.
- Check the next payslip. Your employer picks up the new name through PAYE; if it hasn't changed after a month, tell HR directly.
| Cost | Free |
|---|---|
| Where | Online via personal tax account; or by phone / post if you can't use the account |
| Also updates | National Insurance record (same change) |
| Doesn't update | Child Benefit, tax credits, State Pension, Student Loans — tell each separately |
Self-employed or filing Self Assessment?
The same personal tax account change covers Self Assessment, but check your next return and any HMRC letters show the new name. If you trade under a business name that includes your surname, that's a separate decision: a sole trader can keep trading under the old name, and Companies House has its own process for a company name or a director's name.
What happens if you don't tell HMRC
Nothing immediate, which is why people skip it. The problems arrive later: a P60 or tax refund cheque in a name your bank no longer recognises, a mismatch when a new employer registers you, or a State Pension record that has to be reconciled years on. Ten minutes now avoids all of it. Do it after the passport and the DVLA, since HMRC doesn't need a document and won't hold your certificate.
Common questions
Do I need to tell HMRC I've changed my name?
Yes — it isn't automatic. Your employer's payroll doesn't update HMRC's record of your name; you do it yourself, online in minutes.
Does my National Insurance number change?
No. The number stays for life; only the name on the record changes, and updating HMRC updates the NI record at the same time.
Will updating HMRC update my tax code or PAYE?
Your tax code is unaffected by a name change. Once HMRC holds the new name it flows to your employer's PAYE record at the next update, so payslips and your P60 match.
What if I claim Child Benefit or tax credits?
Tell those services separately — Child Benefit and tax credits have their own records. The personal tax account has links for each.
Do I need to send my marriage certificate to HMRC?
Not usually. Online changes are accepted without evidence; HMRC may ask for it by post in rare cases.
Back to the UK overview.