- 5.6 million taxpayers checked their pay in the HMRC app last year a total of 100 million times – equivalent to 18 times each a year.
- The app had 7.6 million unique users and 2.8 million new users in 2025 to 2026.
- HMRC transformation is on track – with digital services taking off, and outdated communication being phased out.
Millions of taxpayers are choosing to go digital and check their pay via the HMRC app, as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reveals the service was used almost 100 million times last year.
Publishing its Transformation Roadmap – Update, HMRC is setting out how it is transforming and modernising the way taxpayers interact with HMRC’s services, while also making tax easier to understand and simpler to engage with.
The department highlights how its top-ranked app has been used by 7.6 million people in 2025 to 2026 – up 28% on the previous year, with user experience improved in recent months. HMRC has an ambitious target to reach 10 million users by April 2027.
That means one-in-seven Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxpayers have now used HMRC app to check their pay before it lands in their bank accounts, allowing them to plan and understand their finances better.
The HMRC app is driving the digital-first agenda. The app allows customers to check their pay before pay day and check their National Insurance number, tax code, income and benefits, and users can make Self Assessment payments, track letters, get tax estimates and more.
The number of letters HMRC has issued to customers has reduced by 15 million in the last 3 years and call waiting times have almost halved over the last 2 years, down to an average of around 12 and a half minutes.
Speaking at the Institute for Government this week, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Dan Tomlinson MP set out how HMRC is transforming the way it supports its customers. He also announced that HMRC will bring an end to the era of post by default.
From summer 2027, over 100 personal tax letters, that currently account for more than half of the 120 million letters HMRC sends every year, will be available digitally for the first time.
The department has committed to reducing the number of postal letters issued by up to 75% by 2028 to 2029, saving £50 million a year and giving customers faster, simpler ways to manage their tax.
One year on from publishing its five-year Transformation Roadmap, key reforms already delivered include:
- giving taxpayers more ways to manage their money by enhancing the HMRC app
- encouraging up-to-date record-keeping with the first phase Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax for sole traders and landlords with a qualifying income of above £50,000
- 20 million people used their Personal Tax Account and achieved 80% of customer interactions through automated or digital self-serve channels in 2025 to 2026, compared with around 65% in 2020 to 2021
- making it easier to sign up to HMRC’s digital services for one million new customers through the rollout of GOV.UK One Login
More than 350,000 sole traders and landlords have already signed up to MTD for Income Tax. Launched in April 2026, it is the most significant change to how many customers interact with the tax system in 30 years.
Around 2 million businesses already using MTD for VAT have found that keeping digital records means an average saving of 26 to 40 hours on administrative tasks a year.
Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “HMRC is transforming so that dealing with the tax system is simpler, faster and more convenient. We’re making big progress, and I hope people will download the HMRC app to see how well it works for themselves.
“There is more to do, but this is an important milestone on our journey towards a modern tax authority that saves people time, supports economic growth and helps ensure everyone pays the right tax.”
JP Marks, HMRC’s Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, said: “This roadmap updates on the progress we have made in year one of HMRC’s transformation and openly sets out our plans for the future.
“We are determined to go further, transforming digital customer experiences and strengthening our foundations for a more modern and secure tax, customs and valuation system. We are answering phones faster, collecting more debt, with tax receipts and HMRC yield up at record levels, with more to come.
“We remain focussed on delivering an improved service for our customers and bringing in the revenue that underpins the vital public services on which we all depend, and I hope this roadmap helps explain the progress we have made, and our next steps.”
The roadmap update also highlights how HMRC is investing in AI technologies to identify non-compliance earlier and more precisely. Several private sector organisations are currently on a 12-month programme to test AI-driven solutions to tackle non-compliance and help close the tax gap.
Following the integration of the Valuation Office (VO) into HMRC in April 2026, the VO’s plans to become a digital-first, high-trust organisation are now included in the HMRC roadmap.
The progress HMRC has made during the first 12 months underpins the ambitious plan to deliver a modernised tax and customs system that works for everyone, with planned activity for the year ahead focusing on further improving customer experience and strengthening compliance.
The Transformation Roadmap – Update 2026 can be found on GOV.UK
