In a bid to slash print and postage costs by £50m and drag HMRC communications into the 21st century, letters will no longer be sent out automatically by HMRC to taxpayers from next spring, with email alerts notifying you of new documents in your personal tax accounts or the HMRC app instead

HMRC’s digital by default programme wants 90% of HMRC interactions being online or digital only by the 2029-30 tax year. The Budget papers confirmed a major shift to digital by default had been signed off by the government, starting sooner than expected.

This means that the days of posted brown letters from HMRC are very much numbered with only the ‘digitally excluded’ or those who actively opt out of digital being able to receive snail mail posted letters, starting in spring 2026.

You will be required to provide an email (or other digital contact detail) for the HMRC app and online account.

Anyone who currently uses the HMRC app or a personal tax account will be in the first tranche of taxpayers affected. They will no longer be sent letters in the post but instead will receive an email notification advising them that a new HMRC letter, document or communication has been uploaded to their account for viewing.

In the past HMRC has been very resistant to the use of email, frequently arguing letters are their preference in terms of taxpayer data security.

Legislation will be included in Finance Bill 2025-26 to amend the current law governing HMRC’s use of electronic communications.

Under the proposals, HMRC will have the statutory powers to require you to use HMRC’s digital services to provide valid digital contact details (for example, email address or mobile number) at designated interaction points, such as annual filing of taxes.

HMRC has five years to achieve the 90% target of majority service provision online and the reduction in phone helplines.