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On 6 October, HMRC confirmed that some paid agent authorisations still need paper form 64-8, despite years of digital modernisation.
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On 6 October, HMRC confirmed that some paid agent authorisations still need paper form 64-8, despite years of digital modernisation. In updated guidance, HMRC said, “Check what a paid agent can do on your behalf.” “How you authorise the agent depends on the tax, and you may need to use paper form 64-8 or an online service.” For businesses expecting a single online route, that is the part worth noticing today.
The key point is simple: HMRC is still not offering one authorisation path across every tax a paid agent may handle. Businesses and accountants must check the tax involved first, because some permissions can still require paper rather than an online step.
The guidance is about paid agents dealing with tax affairs, not a blanket shortcut that works the same way everywhere. If you assume online-first as a default, you risk losing time before a filing date, payment deadline, or urgent query.
Our reading here is deliberately narrow, because one administrative requirement should never be mistaken for evidence of financial weakness. A paper authorisation step does not tell you a company is distressed, non-compliant, or unable to pay its debts.
It becomes useful when combined with verified company-level checks, such as overdue filings, director changes, or repeated registered-office updates. That is the useful boundary: the signal shows process friction, then other evidence tells you whether the friction matters.
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If a customer says its adviser is handling tax, ask which taxes are covered and whether HMRC access is already live. For SME owners, paper form 64-8 means building extra time into agent handovers before filing dates or payment dates.
For credit teams, match that explanation with Companies House filing status and recent governance changes before you ease terms. The practical lesson is not to overread one process signal, but to stop treating “our accountant is on it” as proof.
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