The communications campaign for the app is part of HMRC’s wider digital first approach to persuade taxpayers to use the app instead of making a phone call to one of its call centres. The four-month campaign runs until the end of March. 

The HMRC app is being promoted as part of an integrated campaign, using advertising across multiple channels including video on demand, out of home, ads on social platforms, and during podcasts.

The print ads, running in the Metro newspaper, for example, have the tagline, ‘Take the mystery out of your money and tax with the HMRC app’, flagging how the app provides details about tax codes, national insurance number, work history and pay. In the ad, the app is described as ‘magic’ with a crystal ball and a starburst image. There is also a QR code to download the app.

HMRC said it was also promoting the app via direct emails, text messages and letters to millions of taxpayers.

As part of the drive to push people online, HMRC is also ramping up communications about the app when it sends letters to taxpayers with the message that downloading and using the app will ‘save paper and help the environment’.

For example, a single sheet A4 leaflet has been sent to taxpayers alongside their notifications confirming tax codes for 2025-26, with a message that the tax authority is going paperless and that taxpayers need to ‘take control of your money and tax with the HMRC app’.

It has also been running a national campaign since November through to March targeting 18 to 34-year-olds with advertising across multiple channels including TV, radio, billboards, video on demand and social media. This is expected to reach 97% of this age range and the campaign was developed by advertising agency, 23red.

In 2024, two million new users signed up to the app, bringing total users to 7m since it launched in 2017, but there are over 20m taxpayers who still need to be convinced to use it.

There were over 100 million sessions last year and £652m in self assessment payments, HMRC said.  

HMRC deals with over 38 million calls a year and needs to cut costs with limited resources, while it constantly stresses that at least a third of calls to its call centres are for trivial questions about national insurance numbers, tax codes and changes of address, which is a waste of time and resources.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: ‘The HMRC app is a great tool to access your National Insurance number, claim child benefit or pay your self assessment tax bill on the go. There are lots of services available through the app which can save you a phone call and get you an answer quickly and easily. So why not join the two million new users who have downloaded the app?’

The HMRC app is available for Android and Apple users.