What is this number?
A limited company collects numbers: one from Companies House, several from HMRC, one for customs. Paste any of them and see which one it is, with a link to the guide for it.
What each number looks like
- Company number: 8 digits, or two letters and 6 digits (SC123456).
- UTR: 10 digits, often written 12345 67890.
- VAT number: GB and 9 digits, or 12 with a branch suffix.
- PAYE reference: 3 digits, a slash, then letters and digits (123/AB456).
- Accounts Office reference: 13 characters, 123PA00012345.
- EORI: GB or XI and 12 digits.
- Authentication code: 6 letters or digits.
- National Insurance number: two letters, 6 digits and a letter A to D.
Some shapes overlap, so the tool shows a ranked list when more than one fits. It is not a check that a number is registered.
Questions people ask
How do I tell a company number from a UTR?
A company number has 8 characters and comes from Companies House. A UTR has 10 digits and comes from HMRC. They are two different registers, so a company has both.
What is the difference between a PAYE reference and an Accounts Office reference?
The PAYE employer reference looks like 123/AB456 and identifies the employer. The Accounts Office reference looks like 123PA00012345 and is the number you quote when you pay PAYE and National Insurance to HMRC.
Can this tell me a number is real?
No. It reads the shape of the number and, for a VAT number, runs the check-digit rule. Only the register that issued a number can say it exists: Companies House for company numbers, HMRC for VAT, UTR and PAYE.
Why does it say "format only" for some numbers?
Where we could not confirm a published check-digit rule from the issuer, we match the shape only and say so. A UTR is one: the tool confirms 10 digits and does not claim the check digit is right.
Is the number sent anywhere?
No. The work happens in your browser and nothing you type is sent to Kofolio.
Sources
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