Fill and sign Starter checklist online
Gives a new employer the information it needs to set up your PAYE tax code when you don't have a P45 (it replaced the old P46).
Starter checklist at a glance
- Official name
- Starter checklist for PAYE
- Issued by
- HMRC
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Category
- Employment and payroll
- Language
- English
- Who uses it
- New employees without a P45, and their employers.
- Signature
Check with the recipient
Not stated. The checklist ends with a declaration you sign and date; ask your employer how they want to receive it.
- Instructions
- Official HMRC page
The Starter checklist is the HMRC form a new employee fills in when they do not have a P45, so the employer can set up the right tax code and any student loan deductions. Open the official form from GOV.UK in BunnyDoc's free Sign PDF tool straight from this page, type into its fillable fields, add your signature and date, and download it to give to your employer. Everything happens in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.
How to fill in and sign Starter checklist
Open the right version
Use the button on this page to open the Starter checklist from GOV.UK. Employees seconded to the UK by an overseas employer use the separate expat starter checklist.
Fill in your personal details (questions 1 to 7)
Enter your name, sex, date of birth, home address, National Insurance number if you know it, and your employment start date.
Answer the employee statement questions (8 to 10)
Say whether you have another job, receive a pension, or have had other paid work or certain benefits since 6 April. Your answers decide whether statement A, B or C applies.
Answer the student loan questions (11 to 13)
Say whether you have a student or postgraduate loan, whether an exemption applies, and which plan you are on (Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5, and the postgraduate loan if you have one).
Sign the declaration and give it to your employer
Write your full name in capitals, add the date and sign. Give the form to your employer, not to HMRC.
What you need before you start
- Your National Insurance number, if you have one.
- Your job start date.
- Details of any other job, pension or benefits you have had since 6 April.
- Your student loan plan type, which you can check from the GOV.UK page.
Statements A, B and C explained
- A: this is your first job since 6 April and you have had no taxable benefits or other job payments since then.
- B: since 6 April you have had another job or certain benefits, but you do not have a P45.
- C: you have another job or receive a State, workplace or private pension. Your employer will use tax code BR.
Common mistakes
- Choosing statement A when you had another job earlier in the tax year.
- Ticking more than one student loan plan.
- Using initials or shortened names instead of your full names.
- Sending the form to HMRC instead of your employer.
Starter checklist: frequently asked questions
Who needs to fill in a Starter checklist?
New employees who do not have a P45, for example in their first job, after self-employment, after a break from work, or with more than one job.
Does the Starter checklist replace the P46?
Yes. The Starter checklist replaced the old P46 form.
Do I send the Starter checklist to HMRC?
No. You give it to your employer, who uses it to set up your tax code and tell HMRC you have started.
Can I fill it in online?
Yes. GOV.UK also offers an online version. You cannot save progress on it, so gather your information first.
Can I sign the Starter checklist electronically?
HMRC does not say. Ask your employer how they want to receive it; many accept a signed PDF.
Is BunnyDoc connected to HMRC?
No. BunnyDoc is not affiliated with HMRC. We link to the official form on GOV.UK and give you a free tool to fill and sign it in your browser.
BunnyDoc is not affiliated with HMRC. Check that the recipient accepts electronic signatures.
Need someone else to sign? Send it for eSignature with BunnyDoc
Upload the filled-in form and send it to anyone for a legally binding eSignature, with an audit trail. 5 free signature requests every month.