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Tax-Free Childcare login: how to sign in, fix errors and top up your account

Everything you need to log in to your Tax-Free Childcare account on gov.uk — the exact sign-in URL, what to do when the page won’t load, how to top up, and how to reconfirm every three months so you don’t lose your 20% top-up.

Reviewed by the Nursery Advice editorial teamLast updated 2 July 2026Next review 30 November 2026Editorial standards

Your Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account is the gov.uk wallet you pay your nursery from. For every £80 you put in, the government adds £20 — up to £2,000 per child per year, or £4,000 if your child is disabled. To use it you need to sign in with Government Gateway, top up, and pay your provider from the account.

This guide walks you through the login, the most common errors (and the exact fix for each), how to top up, and how to reconfirm your details every three months — the single biggest reason families lose their top-up.

Quick answer: sign in here

  • Bookmark the link above — phishing copies of “tax-free childcare login” sites do exist.
  • The same login covers Tax-Free Childcare and the 30 hours funded code for 9-month-olds to 4-year-olds.
  • If you and your partner both work, only one of you needs the account — but both must be confirmed eligible.

How to sign in to your Tax-Free Childcare account

  1. Go to gov.uk/sign-in-childcare-account. Click Start now.
  2. Enter your Government Gateway user ID (12 digits) and password.
  3. Enter the 6-digit access code sent to your phone, or generated by the HMRC app.
  4. You’ll land on your childcare dashboard. From here you can top up, pay a provider, view your eligibility status and reconfirm.

What you need before logging in

  • A Government Gateway user ID and password — the same one used for your personal tax account.
  • Access to the phone number on your Gateway profile (for the 6-digit code).
  • Your National Insurance number, in case HMRC asks for a fresh identity check.
  • Your nursery’s 13-digit Tax-Free Childcare reference (only needed for new providers — saved ones show on the dashboard). If you don’t have one yet, you can find a nursery near you and ask the setting directly.

How Tax-Free Childcare actually works

TFC isn’t a discount applied at the till — it’s a top-up paid into a government-held account. You deposit money, HMRC adds 20%, and you pay your nursery from the combined balance.

  1. You transfer money in from any UK bank account (no fee).
  2. HMRC adds 20p for every 80p you deposit, usually within seconds.
  3. You pay your nursery from the account. The nursery sees it as a standard bank transfer.
  4. You reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months — a single click if nothing’s changed.

See what you’ll actually pay after the 20% top-up

Use our calculator to see your monthly nursery bill after Tax-Free Childcare and the funded hours you’re entitled to. It uses regional day-rate averages — or pop in your nursery’s actual rate for a precise figure.

Tax-Free Childcare savings calculator

Open full tool
England (outside London)
Estimated net cost
£3,163/ year
£264 / month · £61 / week
  • Net to you£3,163
  • Funded hours£7,980
  • Tax-Free Childcare£332
Child's age

2 years

Days per week
Hours per day
Include hidden charges (£12/day)

Most nurseries charge a daily supplement for food, nappies, sun cream and trips on top of fees and funded hours. The England (outside London) average is around £12 per day your child attends. Toggle off if your nursery doesn't.

Term-time only (38 weeks)

Otherwise we use 51 weeks of nursery a year.

Both parents working

Each earning at least minimum wage and under £100k. Unlocks working-parent funded hours & Tax-Free Childcare.

Receiving Universal Credit

Unlocks the 85% UC childcare element instead of Tax-Free Childcare.

Topping up your account

  1. From the dashboard, choose Pay money in.
  2. Use the unique sort code and account number shown (it’s different for every child).
  3. Send the amount from your bank app as a normal transfer — the 20% top-up lands almost instantly.
  4. Set up a standing order if your nursery bill is the same every month — it removes the “oh, I forgot” risk.

Reconfirming every 3 months

Every quarter HMRC asks you to confirm your details haven’t changed. If you miss this, the 20% top-up pauses on new deposits — your existing balance still works, but nothing new is topped up.

  • You get an email and a dashboard banner two weeks before the deadline.
  • If nothing’s changed, reconfirming is one click — it takes under 30 seconds.
  • If your income or partner status has changed, you’ll answer 3–4 questions about the next 3 months.
  • Miss it? Sign in and reconfirm immediately — top-ups resume on the next deposit.

Tax-Free Childcare login not working? Try this

Most login problems fall into one of the patterns below. Work through them in order — it’s faster than waiting for the helpline.

Common Tax-Free Childcare login errors and how to fix them
Symptom What it means Fix
“We could not match your details” Government Gateway profile and HMRC records don’t match. Sign in to your personal tax account first and update your name, address or NI number. Re-try TFC after.
“Your access code didn’t work” The 6-digit code expired (they last 90 seconds) or your phone has no signal. Click resend code, or switch to the HMRC app authenticator under security preferences.
Page won’t load / spinning gov.uk service incident, or your browser is blocking cookies. Check the service status. Try a private window. Disable VPNs/ad-blockers.
“You’re locked out” Five wrong password attempts. Wait 2 hours, then use forgotten password. Have your NI number handy.
“Reconfirm by” banner won’t clear Reconfirmation went through but cache is stale. Sign out, clear cookies for tax.service.gov.uk, sign back in. If still there after 24h, call the helpline.
Can’t see my child on the dashboard Application is still being assessed. New applications can take up to 7 days. Check your email — HMRC writes if they need anything else.
“You are not eligible” after years of using it Income changed, partner change, or reconfirmation lapsed past 30 days. Check the reason on the dashboard. If income, you’ll be eligible again next quarter (if it drops back). If lapsed, you may need a fresh application.
Top-up didn’t land Wrong reference used, or one parent over £100k. Check the deposit went to the right child’s sort code/account. Money sent to the wrong account is auto-returned within 3 working days.
“This service is not available” Planned maintenance — usually overnight. Try again after 06:00. If still down, call the helpline.
App authenticator code rejected Phone clock drift. Set your phone’s date and time to automatic, then re-pair the authenticator.

Tax-Free Childcare helpline

  • Phone: 0300 123 4097.
  • Open: Monday to Friday, 08:00–18:00 (closed bank holidays).
  • Webchat: available from your dashboard when you’re signed in.
  • Outside the UK: +44 300 123 4097.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Tax-Free Childcare is a UK-wide HMRC scheme — the login, helpline and 20% top-up are identical wherever you live. What differs is the funded hours that sit alongside it.

  • Scotland: 1,140 hours/year of funded early learning from age 3 (some 2-year-olds qualify). See mygov.scot.
  • Wales: Childcare Offer for Wales — 30 hours for working parents of 3–4-year-olds. See gov.wales.
  • Northern Ireland: no equivalent of the 30 funded hours. TFC works as normal, plus pre-school education places from age 3.

Frequently asked questions

What is the official Tax-Free Childcare login URL?
gov.uk/sign-in-childcare-account. Any other URL claiming to be the TFC login is unofficial — don’t enter your Gateway details.
Why does my Tax-Free Childcare login keep failing?
The most common cause is a mismatch between your Government Gateway profile and your HMRC personal tax record (often an old address or surname). Sign in to your personal tax account at gov.uk/personal-tax-account first, update the details, then retry TFC.
How do I top up my Tax-Free Childcare account?
Sign in, choose Pay money in, and use the unique sort code and account number shown for that child. Send the amount from your bank app. The 20% top-up usually lands within seconds.
How often do I have to reconfirm Tax-Free Childcare?
Every 3 months. HMRC emails you and shows a banner on the dashboard 2 weeks before the deadline. If nothing has changed, reconfirming is a single click.
What happens if I miss the reconfirmation deadline?
Your existing balance still works to pay your nursery, but new deposits won’t get the 20% top-up until you reconfirm. Sign in and reconfirm immediately — top-ups resume on the next deposit.
Can I use Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare at the same time?
Yes — in fact, the same gov.uk login handles both. You can use the 30 funded hours and pay any additional hours through your TFC account.
What’s the Tax-Free Childcare helpline number?
0300 123 4097, open Monday to Friday 08:00–18:00. From outside the UK, call +44 300 123 4097.
Is the Tax-Free Childcare login the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes — TFC is a UK-wide HMRC scheme with a single login. The funded-hours schemes you can pair it with vary by nation.

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About this guide & sources

Every numerical claim in this guide is sourced from UK government, NHS or recognised charity publications. We re-check each source on the article’s review date.

  1. GOV.UK — Sign in to your childcare account (retrieved 2026-05-23)
  2. GOV.UK — Tax-Free Childcare (retrieved 2026-05-23)
  3. HMRC — Get help with your Tax-Free Childcare account (retrieved 2026-05-23)
  4. Childcare Choices — Tax-Free Childcare overview (retrieved 2026-05-23)
  5. mygov.scot — Help paying for childcare (retrieved 2026-05-23)
  6. gov.wales — Childcare Offer for Wales (retrieved 2026-05-23)

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