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What to check when PayFit is unable to make your RTI submissions
What to check when PayFit is unable to make your RTI submissions
Rebecca Russell avatar
Written by Rebecca Russell
Updated over a week ago


To allow PayFit to make RTI Submissions on your behalf we need:

  • Your HMRC credentials (aka Government Gateway ID & password).

  • Your PAYE scheme reference number & Accounts Office Reference number.

  • Your PAYE scheme to be activated.

If there is a message in your PayFit account stating that we can’t make your RTI Submissions, please check each of the following sections:

Are your HMRC credentials correct?

Please double check that the details you have entered into the HMRC credentials section of your PayFit account are correct. These are the details that you would use to log in to your HMRC Online account (https://www.gov.uk/paye-online).

If you have more than one person with access to the HMRC Online account, please make sure you use the credentials in PayFit with the PAYE for Employers access and authority to make the submissions. To check this;

1️⃣ Log in to your HMRC Online account and click Manage account.

2️⃣ Click Give a team member access to a tax, duty or scheme.

3️⃣ Click Manage team members in the PAYE or Employers section.

4️⃣ Tick the team member who entered the credentials on PayFit then click Save.

When you enter or change your credentials in PayFit you can test these credentials to check we can send your submissions.

Note that the test submission will return a failed response if there is a problem with either of these three sections.

Are your PAYE scheme details correct?

Please double check that you have correctly entered your PAYE scheme reference number & Accounts office reference number into the HMRC Information section of your PayFit account.

You can confirm these details on your HMRC account by navigating to your Business tax account page. Under the PAYE for Employers section, you should see your Employer PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference.

Is your PAYE scheme activated?

When you created your HMRC Online Employer account, HMRC sent an activation code in the post. You need to enter this code in your HMRC Account to activate your PAYE scheme. A good indicator that this has been done is if you've been able to make your own RTI submissions prior to joining PayFit. If you're a new employer this code can take up to 14 days to arrive in the post. You can still run your payroll in the meantime. Once you've received the code and activated your PAYE scheme, we can backdate your submissions.

It's also important to make sure that you've activated your PAYE scheme against the credentials you entered in PayFit. This is particularly important if you were previously using an accountant or bureau. Accountants or bureaus use their own Agent credentials to send submissions on your behalf. You must make sure that the PAYE scheme is activated against your own credentials.

To activate your PAYE scheme against your own credentials:

1️⃣ Log into your HMRC Online account.

2️⃣ Next to the PAYE for Employers option, select Activate then enter the code you received from HMRC.

3️⃣ Click Activate to finish setting up the service.

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