HMRC Employment History: Employer Guide

Understanding employment verification is crucial for making informed hiring decisions. HMRC employment records provide employers with official, government-backed data that streamlines the recruitment process whilst supporting compliance with UK law.

What Is HMRC Employment History?

HMRC employment history is an official record maintained by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs that details an individual's employment over the past five years via online access. Records older than five tax years can still be requested from HMRC via a postal application. This comprehensive document includes employer names, precise job start and end dates, and taxable income reported for tax purposes. These dates reflect employer payroll reporting to HMRC and may not always correspond exactly to contractual start dates, particularly where payroll was set up retrospectively.

The information is compiled directly from employer submissions of pay, benefits, and deductions. Employment records are maintained through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system, based on data submitted by employers. A Full Payment Submission (FPS) is sent each time employees are paid, detailing pay and deductions. This makes the data a highly reliable source of employment verification for UK employers.

The Traditional Challenge: Reference Checking

Obtaining career history references through traditional methods can be extraordinarily time-consuming and frustrating for HR professionals. Chasing down former employers, waiting for responses, and dealing with incomplete information creates bottlenecks in your recruitment process.

Reference data errors compound these challenges. Discrepancies in employment dates, job titles, or salary information require additional investigation, prolonging the vetting timeline and increasing administrative burden. Many referees provide vague or incomplete responses, leaving gaps in the verification process that put your organisation at risk.

Why Employers Request HMRC Employment History During Hiring

Official Verification

HMRC records provide a reliable, government-backed snapshot of a candidate's recent work history, eliminating doubts about employment authenticity and offering peace of mind to hiring managers. Access to this information is always initiated by the candidate, ensuring transparency and compliance with UK data-protection requirements.

Quick Cross-Checking

Employers can verify employment dates, employer names, and reported taxable income quickly and efficiently, reducing the time-to-hire whilst maintaining rigorous standards of due diligence.

Fraud Prevention

These records act as a powerful fraud prevention tool by allowing employers to cross-check candidate-provided information against official government data, identifying inconsistencies that might indicate CV embellishment or fabrication.

---

Reliability & Accuracy

Official records submitted by employers to HMRC provide accurate, trustworthy information that strengthen trust in candidate disclosures.

Consistency Checking

Year-by-year employment listings make it easy to spot discrepancies between candidate claims and official records, prompting further investigation when needed.

Historical UK Employment Evidence

For foreign talent, HMRC records confirm legal employment history in the UK, strengthening right to work verification and ensuring compliance. While HMRC employment history confirms past lawful PAYE employment in the UK, it does not replace statutory right-to-work checks, which must still be completed in line with Home Office guidance.

Salary Verification

Taxable income information helps employers assess whether their compensation packages are competitive enough for the role and candidate experience level. HMRC records show taxable income reported through PAYE, offering a useful high-level indicator rather than a breakdown of base salary, bonuses, or benefits.

Career Progression Insights

Review career trajectory and identify employment gaps to understand professional development and assess suitability for the position.

How Candidates Can Access Their HMRC Employment History

If your company requests HMRC work history, provide candidates with clear guidance on obtaining it. There are three methods available, with online requests being the fastest option.

Via Phone

Call 0300 200 3300 for guidance on accessing employment records. HMRC’s helplines can assist with PAYE queries, but phone requests for employment history are slower and still result in a postal letter.

Via Post

Complete and mail the request form to HMRC. This method takes the longest time as documents are released via physical mail. HMRC has 40 days to respond, and the applicant must provide consent and ID information.

Online/App Request

Sign in through Government Gateway for immediate access. This is the fastest method, allowing instant viewing and downloading.

What You’ll Need

HMRC may request a combination of the following details to verify an individual’s identity:

• National Insurance number or UK postcode

• Recent payslip or P60 from the last tax year

• Valid UK passport details (where available)

• UK photocard driving licence (DVLA or DVA)

• Self Assessment tax return details (if applicable)

• Knowledge-based questions drawn from credit reference data

  
  

Data Protection & GDPR Compliance

Employers must ensure a lawful basis for processing this data under the UK GDPR and restrict access to authorised personnel only.

Access Timeline

Once signed in through Government Gateway, candidates can immediately view, print, or save their employment history as a PDF. They should repeat the process for each tax year needed, typically covering the past 5 years. Requests for records older than five tax years are processed by post and typically take up to 40 calendar days to complete.

Important Limitations of HMRC Employment History

Limited Information Scope

HMRC records provide basic employment dates, employer names, and income information but lack critical details such as job titles, responsibilities, performance evaluations, and reasons for leaving positions. Periods of self-employment, overseas work, or income not processed through PAYE may not appear in HMRC employment records.

Contains Sensitive Personal Data

HMRC employment history includes tax records, National Insurance information, and income details. Employers must handle this information with strict confidentiality and comply with all data protection laws to protect candidate privacy.

Benefits of Using HMRC Employment History for Employers

Accelerated Verification

HMRC records significantly speed up the background verification process by providing official data consolidated in one authoritative document, reducing recruitment timelines and improving candidate experience. Used alongside references, identity checks, and right-to-work verification, HMRC employment history strengthens overall hiring due diligence.

Reduced Manual Work

This approach reduces reliance on manual reference checks, which can be time-consuming, inconsistent, and dependent on previous employers' responsiveness and record-keeping practices.

Salary Insights

Employment history offers valuable insight into a candidate's salary progression, helping employers tailor competitive compensation packages that attract top talent whilst maintaining internal pay equity.

Can Complement or Replace Some Checks

HMRC employment history can serve as a strong verification source, and in some cases may reduce the need for other checks when used appropriately. Employers may still choose to supplement with references or additional evidence such as payslips and P60s to support verification where needed.

Avoiding Bad Hires and Legal Risks

Incorporating HMRC employment history into your hiring process helps identify inconsistencies that could indicate resume fraud, protecting your organisation from costly bad hires. Recent studies suggest up to 30% of CVs contain some form of inaccuracy.

Beyond fraud prevention, these checks ensure compliance with UK employment and immigration laws, protecting businesses from substantial fines and reputational damage. Most importantly, they support fair hiring decisions based on verified, factual employment data rather than unsubstantiated claims.

HMRC employment history provides a factual foundation for verification, helping employers make fairer, more informed decisions based on official records rather than unverified claims.

VettingGateway supports HR teams with fully compliant background checks, from HMRC and Right to Work to employment references and FCA screening. The biggest names in recruitment and aviation trust us with their vetting.