Lixxi

How does PAYE work in the UK?

Answered 11 March 2026

How PAYE Works in the UK

What the law says

PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is the system by which income tax on employment and pension income is collected at source. The legal framework is found primarily in Part 11 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (ITEPA 2003) and the Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003.

  • Section 683 ITEPA 2003 defines "PAYE income" (including employment income and pension income) that is subject to the PAYE system.
  • Section 684 ITEPA 2003 requires the Commissioners of HMRC to make PAYE regulations governing the assessment, charge, collection and recovery of income tax in respect of all PAYE income.
  • Part 11 Chapter 3 ITEPA 2003 specifies who is responsible for accounting for tax in special circumstances, such as payments by intermediaries, to agency workers, or by non-UK employers.
  • PAYE applies "at the time the payment is made" or "the time when a person becomes entitled to payment of or on account of the earnings" (section 18 ITEPA 2003).

HMRC guidance / practice

The basic mechanism is as follows:

  • Employers (and pension providers) are required to deduct income tax from payments of PAYE income and account for that tax to HMRC. The process is described simply: if a payment of PAYE income of £1,000 is made and, using the tax code and tax tables, the payer calculates that a deduction of £100 is appropriate, the payer deducts £100, pays £900 to the employee, and accounts to HMRC for the £100 deducted.

  • Tax codes are central to the operation of PAYE. Each employee is assigned a tax code (issued by HMRC) which determines how much tax-free pay they receive before tax is deducted. Where a tax code has an "S" prefix, the individual pays income tax at the Scottish rates; a "C" prefix indicates Welsh rates.

  • Real Time Information (RTI): Employers are required to report PAYE information to HMRC in real time — i.e., on or before each payment is made to employees.

  • P45: When an employee leaves a job, they receive a P45 showing how much tax has been paid on their salary so far in the tax year (6 April to 5 April). A new employer uses the P45 to operate PAYE correctly from the outset.

  • Employer PAYE reference: Each employer registered for PAYE is assigned a unique PAYE reference number used by HMRC to identify them.

  • Internationally mobile employees: Where employees work both inside and outside the UK, special rules under sections 689–690E ITEPA 2003 modify the operation of PAYE. For example, from 6 April 2025, a notification process replaced the previous requirement to apply for a direction from HMRC to operate PAYE only on the proportion of earnings relating to UK duties.

  • Special arrangements: Where deduction of tax using the normal procedure is impracticable, HMRC may agree special arrangements or direct collection procedures.

  • National Insurance contributions (NICs): PAYE operates alongside Class 1 NICs obligations. Employers deduct and account for both income tax and NICs through the same payroll process.


Citation sources

1 MANUAL
PAYE: background to PAYE on special types of payment: introduction

Part 11 Chapter 2 deals with the general application of PAYE, including the requirement for the Commissioners of HMRC to make regulations (the PAYE regulations) with respect to the assessment, charge, collection and recovery of income tax in respect of all PAYE income. Broadly, the PAYE regulations determine the process by which a person who is an employer or a pension provider, or otherwise makes payment of PAYE income, is required to deduct and account to HMRC for the income tax due in respect

HMRC guidance
2 LEGISLATION
The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2014

Citation, commencement, effect and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2014 and come into force on 6th October 2014. 2 Regulation 2 has effect in relation to a failure to deliver a return to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in relation to relevant payments made— a on or after 6th October 2014, where the employer is a large existing Real Time Information employer; and b on or after 6th March 2015 where— i the employe

Secondary legislation
3 MANUAL
PAYE operation: international employments: UK employer's duties

For tax years ending prior to 6 April 2025 an employer could apply under Section 690 ITEPA 2003 for a direction from HMRC to operate PAYE only on the percentage of the employee’s total earnings that are for work in the UK. This applied to all payments made by the employer including termination payments and share based remuneration. From 6 April 2025 the legislation has been changed and a notification process has been introduced to replace the need to apply for a direction. Information of this n

HMRC guidance
4 MANUAL
PAYE operation: aspects of PAYE operation - employee: coding

HMRC will not normally be involved where a new employee has form P45 parts 2 and 3. If the P45 shows a code and cumulative pay and tax, the new employer completes a Deductions Working Sheet and operates PAYE in the usual way. Where the tax code has an S or C prefix this indicates the individual pays income tax at the Scottish or Welsh rate(s). Further information about the Scottish rate of income tax is given at PAYE100035 and further information about the Welsh rates of income tax is given at P

HMRC guidance
5 GUIDANCE
Claim a tax refund when you've flexibly accessed all of your pension (P53Z)

You’ll need your: National Insurance Number employer PAYE reference number — if you have it parts 2 and 3 of your p45 — if not tell us why (for example, you may be retired, or a UK Crown servant employed abroad) self-employment profits made in this tax year — if there are any Your P45 shows how much tax you’ve paid on your salary so far in the tax year (6 April to 5 April). You’ll also need to confirm if you’ve had any: pensions from a former employer public service pensions forces pensions pers

HMRC guidance
6 MANUAL
PAYE operation: aspects of PAYE operation - employee: coding: earnings not assessable or not taxed as PAYE income

There are two main types of case where deduction of tax using the normal procedure is impracticable ‘PAYE direct payment’ at PAYE75000 onwards contains advice for cases where an employer is not used to operating PAYE Where there is an employer but the earnings are not being taxed under PAYE or are not assessable to income tax If the earnings in the latter case are above the normal minimum amount for deduction of tax Tell the employer to operate code NT Use the coding function to enter this code

HMRC guidance
7 GUIDANCE
Insolvency (VAT Notice 700/56)

Where a payment to an employee covers both pre and post appointment periods, all the Income Tax and National Insurance contributions deducted and due on any payslip issued to the employee after the relevant date of the formal insolvency procedure, should be paid to HMRC as an expense of the insolvency. A formal insolvency procedure can include: in administration compulsory liquidation creditors’ voluntary liquidation bankruptcy sequestration This is described in section 18 of the Income Tax (Ear

HMRC guidance
8 MANUAL
PAYE: special type of payer or payee: background

Most payments of PAYE income are made by the contractual employer or pension provider to an employee or pensioner in the UK. Under the PAYE regulations, the payer will be responsible for deducting and accounting for tax and, unless the payment is a special type of income (see EIM11803), the process should be straightforward. However, occasionally a payment of PAYE income may be made in circumstances where the obligation to deduct and account for tax is not clear from the PAYE regulations. Part 1

HMRC guidance
9 MANUAL
PAYE operation: international employments: overview

This 'International Employments' section of the manual covers problems that arise when the employer of an employee performing duties in the UK has no UK presence, or for employees who come to, or go outside, the UK to work. Although not a statutory term, for the purposes of this guidance where an employee comes to, or goes outside, the UK to work they are referred to as a Globally Mobile Employee ("GME"). The Employment Income Manual explains how an employee's residence status for a tax year aff

HMRC guidance
10 LEGISLATION
The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

Citation and commencement 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 and come into force on 6th April 2020. Amendment of the Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003 2 1 The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003 are amended as follows. 2 In regulation 141 (direct collection and special arrangements) for paragraph (1) substitute— 1 In any case in which HMRC are of the opinion that deduction of tax by reference to the tax tables i

Secondary legislation
11 MANUAL
The taxation of pension income: UK pensions

Section 683 ITEPA 2003 Section 683 ITEPA defines ‘PAYE pension income’, which is pension income that is subject to the PAYE system and rules. Pensions taxable under section 569 ITEPA 2003 are included in the definition of ‘PAYE pension income’, so the PAYE system applies to these pensions. However, the PAYE system does not apply to the amount of pension subject to tax because of the operation of the temporary non-residence rule at section 572A ITEPA 2003 – see Treatment of pension income whilst

HMRC guidance