Guidance

Sign up to Tax-Free Childcare if you’re a childcare provider

Find out how to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare and get a childcare provider account to receive payments from parents using the scheme.

Who can sign up

If you’re an approved or registered childcare provider, you can sign up to get a childcare provider account. This allows you to set up your bank account details and receive payments from parents who use Tax-Free Childcare.

If you’ve already signed up to Tax-Free Childcare you can sign in to your childcare provider account instead.

What you’ll need

To sign up you should be the main contact for your business. You’ll be able to set up a ‘delegate’ to manage your account for you during the process.

You’ll need your:

  • 11-digit user ID from your invitation letter – if you did not get one or have lost it, contact the helpline
  • bank account details
  • your business postcode (the one registered with your regulator, for example Ofsted)

How to sign up

You can sign up online in around 10 minutes.

Sign up now

Service availability

HMRC services may be slow during busy times. Check if there are any problems with this service.

After you sign up

You’ll get a childcare provider account which you can use to keep your details up to date, allowing parents who use Tax-Free Childcare to pay you.

You can sign in to your childcare provider account at any time to manage your Tax-Free Childcare details.

After signing up to Tax-Free Childcare you can still accept payments from parents using childcare vouchers and other methods.

Published 30 July 2018
Last updated 11 March 2020 + show all updates
  1. This page has been updated with more information about what you'll need to sign up.

  2. First published.