Filing of Employer's Return / Notification
E-Services for Employers under the New Tax Portals
(1) Profile
(2) Return Status
(3) Filing of Employer’s Return / Notification
(4) IR56 Forms Preparation Tool
(5) Make a Request / Reply and e-Messages and e-Alerts in respect of Employer’s Return
Available channels to access the above services:
(i) Individual Tax Portal (ITP)
The ITP Account held by the owner of the employer which is a sole proprietorship business.
To submit the Employer's Return / Notification for an entity other than your owned sole-proprietorship business (e.g. a controlled corporation), you may do so under ITP if the Employer's File Number/Business Registration Number and Employer's Identification Code (ERIC)* are known (i.e. Login ITP account>select “Employer's Matters” > “Filing of Employer's Return / Notification” > “Enter ERN / BRN with ERIC”).
* Employer's Identification Code (ERIC) is printed on the BIR56A, IR6036A or IR6036B issued in the year.
(ii) Business Tax Portal (BTP)
BTP User Accounts held by the persons who are appointed under the relevant employer's BTP Business Account as:
- the BTP Administrators; and
- the BTP Authorized Users assigned to handle Employer's Matters
Please note ALL the employer's related services will be available to the respective BTP users once they are appointed as the BTP Administrators / the BTP Authorized Users and assigned to handle Employer's Matters.
(iii) Available services before login:
(a) IR56 Forms Preparation Tool
Click “View All Services” in the login page of the New Tax Portals> select “Employer's Matters” > “IR56 Forms Preparation Tool”.
(b) Filing of Employer's Return / Notification (for Mixed Mode submission only)
Click “View All Services” in the login page of the New Tax Portals, select “Employer's Matters” > “Filing of Employer's Return / Notification” > Click “Proceed with ERIC”.
(1) Profile
It allows BTP and ITP users to view and update the correspondence address of the employer’s file online.
(2) Return Status
It allows BTP and ITP users to view status of Employer's Return (Form BIR56A) and Notification (Form IR6036B) to be filed and filed.
Employers may retrieve Forms BIR56A and IR6036B (with the relevant acknowledgement) filed via Online Mode through the New Tax Portals for the latest 3 years. However, employees' details of the IR56 Form data file uploaded (including the Control List) cannot be retrieved online.
Documents submitted via Mixed Mode and in paper cannot be retrieved neither.
(3) Filing of Employer's Return / Notification
There are two modes of submission:
(a) Online Mode (Login of the Authorized Signer's BTP / ITP user account is required)
An Authorized Signer* is required to sign and submit the Employer's Return / Notification through his/her ITP Account by ITP password, MyGovHK Password, recognized personal digital certificate or "iAM Smart+" account (with digital signing function).
Under Online Mode, employer can submit:
(i) BIR56A (without Form IR56B)
- Only applicable to employer who is not required to file Form IR56B
(ii) IR6036B (without Form IR56M)
- Only applicable to employer who is not required to file Form IR56M
(iii) Form IR56 data file (for all the Forms IR56B/E/F/G/M)
Employers can submit a data file containing up to 5,000 sets of Forms IR56 prepared by the following means:
- IR56 Forms Preparation Tool
(Note: Each data file contains up to 2,000 sets of IR56 records.)
- Pre-approved self-developed software
For annual submission, employers are only allowed to submit once for each year of assessment. For other cases, employers are allowed to perform multiple submissions in a day.
(b) Mixed Mode (Login of the Authorized Signer's BTP / ITP user account is NOT required)
This is a mode of submission which allows employers to designate a person to upload a data file containing the IR56 records via the “Filing of Employer's Return / Notification” service without the login of the Authorized Signer's BTP/ITP's User Account. After uploading of the data file, a Control List (with Transaction Reference Number and QR code) will be generated by the system. The Authorized Signer is required to sign and submit the 1-page (i.e. Cover Page) Control List to complete the submission process.
Employers can designate a person to upload data file(s) containing up to 5,000 sets of Forms IR56 (excluding Form IR56G) prepared through the following means:
- IR56 Forms Preparation Tool
(Note: Each data file contains up to 2,000 sets of IR56 records.)
- Pre-approved self-developed software
After successful uploading of the data file, a Control List (with a QR Code and Transaction Reference Number), listing a summary of the IR56 forms stored in the data file will be generated by the system.
The Authorized Signer* is required to sign on the 1-page (i.e. Cover Page) Control List generated from the system together with a duly signed paper BIR56A/IR6036B, if for annual submission of forms IR56B/M, to complete the submission process.
Multiple uploads in a day for a year of assessment are accepted. However, employers should ensure all the 1-page Control Lists are signed and submitted to the Department in order to complete the submission process. The mere uploading of the data file without the submission of the duly signed BIR56A/IR6036B (if applicable) and Control List will not be regarded as having complied with the employer's obligations as stipulated in the Inland Revenue Ordinance.
* An Authorized Signer refers to the person in one of the following capacities:
- Proprietor (for sole proprietorship businesses)
- Precedent Partner (for partnership businesses)
- Company Secretary / Manager / Director / Provisional Liquidator / Liquidator (for corporations)
- Investment Manager (only applicable to incorporated open-ended fund companies)
- Principal Officer (for bodies of persons)
- Agents for non-resident persons
(5) Make a Request / Reply and e-messages and alerts in respect of Employer’s Return
Under Make a Request / Reply, BTP/ITP user can lodge an enquiry for the specific employer’s file. All the BTP/ITP users who can access the Employer’s Matters of that employer can view and retrieve all the relevant messages through the message box of the BTP/ITP account.
Messages will also be sent to the message box to alert the user for the issuance of Employer’s Return and when the return is coming due.
Last revision date: July 2025