Tax breaks for students on placement

lenora

Since starting university three years ago I have worked part-time or full-time, my first two years I worked part time and this year I am doing an industrial placement.

Ever since I have been paying what seems to me like a lot of money in tax. I am trying to find out if I am able to claim this money back or if I must continue to pay it.

I have tried contacting the tax office but its so tiresome as there phone lines are always busy and I have found it difficult navigating the website any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Bossyboots

If you post on here what you have earned in which tax year and what you have paid in tax and national insurance together if possible with the tax codes used, it will be possible to give you some advice and a definitive answer.

lenora

My P60 for the last tax year is still with my employer so i'll have to give you from my earnings this year so far, I started in June and i have earned £7,474.60 and I have paid £654.20 in tax and £352.22 in national insurance. My tax code is 489L

Bossyboots

lenora wrote:

My P60 for the last tax year is still with my employer so i'll have to give you from my earnings this year so far, I started in June and i have earned £7,474.60 and I have paid £654.20 in tax and £352.22 in national insurance. My tax code is 489L

Can you give the figure that actually appears on your payslip as your gross monthly pay each month as using the figures above at the moment, I actually make it that you have underpaid both tax and NI. The calculator I am using relies on you inputting the monthly figure but someone may be along soon who will do the calculation manually.

lenora

This is as stated on my payslip:

This period (Month of December 2005)
Total Gross Pay: £916.66
Gross for Tax: £916.66
Earnings for NI: £916.66

Payments:
Salary: 916.66
Net Pay: £768.77

Deductions:
Paye TAX : £91.79
National Insurance: £56.10

Year to date:

Total Gross Pay TD: £7474.60
Gross for Tax TD: £7474.60
Tax paid TD: £654.20
Earnings for NI TD: £6044.00
National Insurance TD: £352.22

jenny_f

I'm a student and worked part time both last year and this. I took P60's in to tax office and within about 6 weeks got a lovely cheque for the amount!!! They were meant to sort the tax out though, they said they did althoug I'm still paying it but again means I'll have a lovely cheque coming my way at the end of the tax year.

Savvy_Sue

lenora wrote:

My P60 for the last tax year is still with my employer so i'll have to give you from my earnings this year so far, I started in June and i have earned £7,474.60 and I have paid £654.20 in tax and £352.22 in national insurance. My tax code is 489L

You're supposed to be given your P60 before the end of May, IIRC ... so you should have your P60 for the tax year 04-05, and you won't get one for 05-06 until April or May this year. You only get a P60 from an employer for whom you are actually working at the end of the tax year: if you change jobs during the year then your P45 should show what you earned and what tax you paid in that employment.

Bossyboots

The calculations on your December payslip are correct but I can't work out how you have accumulated the pay to date unless you have earned more in some of the other months than you did in December. I think your tax this year will be correct but if you only worked part time in the previous tax year, you may well have paid too much. You would eventually get the overpayment back but if you had your P60 it could be seen whether there is anything due and you could then apply for it now.

As Sue says, you should have you P60 for 04-05 from any or all the companies who employed you in that tax period if you were still on their payroll at the 5th April and as she also points out, you should have received those by the end of May. Otherwise, you should have been given a P45 when you left.

lenora

I started my placement in June but didn't finish my part time job until July so I had a month where I was working two jobs.

My P60 from 03/04 was apparantly lost in the post according to my old employer, can I use my last payslip from that period (04/04) as proof of earnings instead?

I gave my current employer my for P45 when I got it so he could change my tax code so I guess I will need to get it back from him.

Bossyboots

lenora wrote:

I started my placement in June but didn't finish my part time job until July so I had a month where I was working two jobs.

My P60 from 03/04 was apparantly lost in the post according to my old employer, can I use my last payslip from that period (04/04) as proof of earnings instead?

I gave my current employer my for P45 when I got it so he could change my tax code so I guess I will need to get it back from him.

Your employer keeps your P45. If you leave this employment they will give you a new one.

The tax office will have received a copy of your P60 but if you want to post the figures on your April payslip it should be possible to work out what tax you should have paid.

eileenfromplaistow

Students and children and even babies are treated EXACTLY THE SAME as everyone else. Your code of 489 means that you can earn £4899 in the whole tax year before tax is due. Under Pay As You Earn (PAYE) this amount is split into 52 weekly, or 12 monthly equal amounts (ie £94 a week or £408 a month) before tax is deducted. In a year where you only worked off and on, started with a new employer, finished employment, then you will probably have only received the tax relief for the weeks you worked (called emergency tax or week1 basis).
Write to your current tax office (ask the wages clerk) and detail all your jobs over the last few years. Your own reference is your National Insurance number, but try to provide names and addresses of all the employers and preferably their tax references (look like 205/C378 or 205/56782 for example). They do receive copies of all the P60s, but usually as computer listings, and do not provide copies to the public. The more info YOU can give, the easier it will be.
National Insurance is different and non-refundable - sorry