How to Create a Government Gateway ID
If you’re planning to take advantage of the Government’s Self-employed Income Support Grant , which helps eligible self-employed workers affected by Coronavirus obtain a grant equivalent to 80% of 3 month’s average profits … you’ll need a Personal Government Gateway ID to register.
The bad news: you’ll need to navigate more than 20 screens in order to enter information and obtain your ID.
The good news: the screens are very straightforward, so it won’t take as long as you might think.
To help you on your way, we’ll take you through a typical registration below and indicate what is required for some of the more confusing sections. This example is one of the simplest ways through. You'll need to have the following ready:
Email address
National Insurance Number
Date of birth
Passport no and expiry date (if you don't have a passport, there are alternative options eg P60, wage slips, so grab these instead)
Mobile phone number
STEP 1: Go to the tax account webpage
STEP 2: Choose Create Account option
STEP 4: Choose ‘Continue to your account’
This page usually displays government information about various topics. The link you need (‘continue to your account’ is at the bottom of the page).
STEP 3: Choose ‘Government Gateway’ option
Make sure you have your National Insurance number plus either your passport or your last P60 form.
STEP 5: Click the ‘Create sign in details’ link (IGNORE the sign in button!)
STEP 6: Request and enter email confirmation
The next screen will ask for your email address. Once you’ve entered it and pressed ‘continue’, you’ll receive an email with a 6 character confirmation code (this may take a few minutes at busy times, and if you don’t see it try checking your junk mail / spam folders).
Once you receive the code, enter it into the webpage box and press continue.
STEP 7: Enter name, password…
The next three screens ask you to enter your name and choose a password and secret ‘recovery word’. Once you’ve done this you’ll see the above screen confirming your Gateway ID (we’ve blanked out some of the numbers for security reasons - your number will be unique to you). BUT… there is more to do before you can use your new ID!
STEP 8: Choose the ‘Individual’ account type
Make sure you select this rather than the other two options.
STEP 10: Enter personal data
Your through to the last few screens which ask for personal data, starting with your name, National Insurance number and date of birth.
STEP 9: Choose how to receive access codes
You’ll now go through more security screens The first will ask you to choose how to receive access codes. The easiest option is to choose ‘text’ and then enter your mobile number on the next page. You’ll be sent an access code to your phone as a text message. Once you have this, enter it into Access Code box on the next screen.
STEP 12: You’re finished!
Once you’ve entered the personal information… you should see the above screen: you’ve completed the process.
STEP 11: Choose identification method
Choose which personal information you want to use to identify that it’s really you. The next screen will ask you to enter your chosen information.
