We can confirm that you don't need to make any changes in Paycircle as a result of HMRC's multi-factor authentication (MFA) rollout for agent accounts.
If you experience any connection failures after the MFA rollout date, the most likely cause will be a credential mismatch rather than the MFA itself. In this case, updating your credentials in Paycircle will resolve it.
HMRC's MFA applies to browser logins only
The multi-factor authentication that HMRC is rolling out for agent accounts applies when you sign in to the HMRC Agent Services Account or HMRC online services through a web browser. It doesn't apply to payroll software.
Paycircle uses a separate software channel
Paycircle connects to HMRC via the Transaction Engine - a machine-to-machine channel used by all payroll software. This channel only requires a Government Gateway User ID and password. HMRC's 2-step verification isn't applied to this channel.
No authenticator code is needed in Paycircle
There is no field in Paycircle for a 2FA or authenticator code, and none is required. Your FPS or EPS submissions and automatic tax code updates will continue to work as normal.
Only required action: keep your credentials up to date
⚠️Important! If you use agent-level HMRC credentials that are inherited by multiple client companies in Paycircle, updating the credentials at the agent level will cover all inheriting companies. Any client companies that have their own separate credentials stored will need to be updated individually.
If you have recently changed your HMRC Government Gateway password, make sure you update it in Paycircle:
📌Note: If your credentials are current and correct, no action is needed.
Click Settings, then click Payroll Settings.
Click References and Updates, then click Edit.
Enter the new password.