Tax Refunds - DIY???

Wilko81

Along with my payslip this month there is a leaflet offering a "FREE Tax Healthcheck", where they take all your details and find out if you have paid too much tax.
The Tax Refund Company carry this out on your behalf and teh catch is that they take 40% of any money they find you have overpaid.
Is there any way you can do this yourself and claim the full 100% of any money that is owed??

fengirl_2

Of course you can do it yourself.
What most of these companies do is to check that you have been given the appropriate expense allowance in your code number - UK tax under PAYE is so straightforward nowadays, that is virtually all you could claim.
Here is the link to the official list:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM32712.htm
You simply look up your trade on the list and if this allowance does not appear in your code number, you can write to your tax office and ask for it to be given. You can go back 6 years (assuming you were entitled for that length of time).

BigLad_2

Hi Fengirl,

I almost called this company and went ahead with it the other day but thought I'd see if you could DIY.

I work for a water utility (office work) but can see no reference to that industry in the table...what should I make of that?

Is it a no-go for me if I'm not in the table?

Cheers

Jon.

schmink

All you need to do is take your gross earnings for the year and run through the appropriate year's rate bands i.e. for 2007/08 first £5,225 tax free then 10%, 22% and 40% for appropriate amounts. See HMRC's website and the individuals and employees section.

Not all employees can claim the standard expenses deduction referred to above. If you are not on the list then tough luck!

What theses companies are really doing are checking that the payroll department of your employer have got it right (and that your PAYE code has included the correct deductions and allowances).

Rolandtheroadie

A problem I've seen is that they win you a rebate, you get paid out (they take their 40%) and at a later date, the tax office discover it was wrong to give you the rebate.
So you have to repay what you got. The company doesnt refund the 40% though because in their eyes, they're right.

shelly

Its easy to do yourself. I called my local tax office and they told me what I needed to do in order to see if I was due a refund.

Basically you have to send a letter asking them to look into it. I was told to say in my letter "I am writing to request that checks be made to see if I am entitled to any tax rebate as I believed I have overpaid"

Then you have to list every single period of work and unemployment for the time you wish to be checked. You mustn't miss out any dates at all. You have to list the wages or benefits aswell.

Also you need to send P60's for the dates you want them to check and state in your letter you want this/these back.

HMRC will only go back 6 years with rebates.

If you aren't sure or need more info I'd give your local tax office a call. they were very friendly and helpful to me.

mrkbrrws

BigLad wrote: »

I work for a water utility (office work) but can see no reference to that industry in the table...what should I make of that?

Office workers generally do not incur any expense on maintaining tools or protective clothing etc., so there is no standard expense deduction.

CLAPTON

Wilko81 wrote: »

Along with my payslip this month there is a leaflet offering a "FREE Tax Healthcheck", where they take all your details and find out if you have paid too much tax.
The Tax Refund Company carry this out on your behalf and teh catch is that they take 40% of any money they find you have overpaid.
Is there any way you can do this yourself and claim the full 100% of any money that is owed??

of course if your affairs are fairly simple you could post up the details of your payslip on here and someone will work out whether it's correct

fengirl_2

mkbrrws is right. I imagine this company has persuaded your employer to allow them to contact all the workers there on the off-chance that there will be engineers and so on who would be eleigible for a fixed rate deduction.

lilmissclass

what is the link all about - i work in food, it says £60 deduction, what does that mean?

fengirl_2

It means you are entitled to a deduction of £60 pa to cover the cost of maintaining your uniform. You just need to contact your tax office and ask for this allowance to be given for this year, next year and any preious years you were in this job, to a mx of 6 yrs.