PAYE tax advice

shorty31

Hi, I am a long term reader of the boards have registered today as I can't find the answer here already. Am hoping someone here can give some advice, as having spent two days trying to get through to my local tax office and being told they are too busy to take my call is not fun.

I work two jobs, one full time, 2nd job is as retained Firefighter. On checking my past wage and salary slips this time last year main job was on a normal tax code, 2nd job on BR code, which I know was right.

In August I was laid off my main job as an electrician, received a P45. The next week I started contract work, but opted to take the paye rate. On looking at the payslips now, I see they were taxed at BR.

In September I was lucky enough to find full time permanent work again. However, just this month I have noticed that I am being taxed at BR, and have been since September.

The first thing I want to do is get my tax coding sorted out for future payments, and then check to see if I am due any refund, which I think i will be. However am not sure how to do this.

I still have part 1 of the P45 relating to my ex main job from last August, plus I am waiting for my P60 from my current employers, BUT I never received a P45 from the agency I worked through, and am not sure if I should have done, or as I am still "on their books" whether I should be receiving a P60 can anyone enlighten me the way agencies do these things ? I have tried ringing them but of course the department, person, i need is never available, and I am still waiting for them to return my call.

If the agency DO issue a P60 would I send the 3 P60's (current main job, Fire service, and agency) Plus the P45 to my local tax office so they would recalculate the figures and send me a tax code, plus any refund that may be due ? Or will I have to go down the route of Self assesment ?

If the agency continue to not be helpful, would the payslips I have for the 6 weeks I worked for them be okay as proof ?

Or have I got this all wrong and need to do something completely different ?

Any help gratefully received.

PlutoinCapricorn

It seems that you are on the right track and know what to do. I think that you are just talking about the financial year that has just finished?

I believe that all P60s should be issued by the end of May - this is a legal requirement - so perhaps you should wait until then to see what you get. They will only be sent by companies you were still working for at April 5th.

If you supply the tax office with all P60s, P45s and start and end dates for all your employers and periods of unemployment to fill in any gaps in your records, the tax office should be able to work everything out, refund you and adjust your tax code. So no need for self-assessment, it can all be done via your tax code. I think that the office that deals with your main current employer is the best one, as your records may move when you change employers. and they may take up to 3 months to process your claim. Apparently they prefer phone calls rather than visits, so it is bad that you can't get through. I guess that many people are trying to claim back tax as times are hard.

shorty31

Thank you PlutoinCapricorn, I will sit it out till the end of May and see what I get like you suggest. Its the agency bit that is confusing me, very glad to read that there hopefully won't be a need for self assessment. Had a call from the main employers payroll department, saying they "hoped" to have P60's out by the end of May, thanks to your post I was able to be firm and said they "must" get it to me by the end of May.

julesmum23

I dont know why it takes some firms so long to send them out, should all be prepared with P35 employers return which has to be at HMRC by 19th May.

I do payroll as a living and all p60's 35s was ready for all clients by end of week 1.

shorty31

Julesmum, to be honest the whole HR and payroll departments seem in a mess were I work, its very frustrating, but as you work in payroll, please can I ask another question.
I will be sorting out direct with IR the overpayment for last year. Then when I get the tax coding notice and forward it to payroll, will the overpayment for this year ( I can't see this being a quick process so expecting to overpay for another few months yet!) be dealt with by them and given back to me in my salary ?

mrkbrrws

If I have understood your situation, when you started work in September you would not have had a P45 to hand to the new employer. They should have got you to complete a form P46 on which you presumably stated that this was not your only job.

Unfortunately, while that was true, it gives the wrong result in that you now have two jobs both on BR codings.

I would suggest you ring the Tax Office that deals with your current main employer (I don't know if that is the one you have been trying) and explain that you have a second job which is taxed at basic rate but that you would like them to issue a normal code to your main employer.

You don't forward a tax coding notice to payroll, HMRC issue notice of the new code directly to the employer and that is their instruction to change your code.

HMRC should hopefully be able to issue a cumulative code as you have worked for the same employer since 6 April and this would produce a tax refund in your pay once it is used.

suso

shorty31 wrote: »

having spent two days trying to get through to my local tax office and being told they are too busy to take my call is not fun.

I work two jobs, one full time, 2nd job is as retained Firefighter. On checking my past wage and salary slips this time last year main job was on a normal tax code, 2nd job on BR code, which I know was right.

The first thing I want to do is get my tax coding sorted out for future payments, and then check to see if I am due any refund, which I think i will be. However am not sure how to do this.

I still have part 1 of the P45 relating to my ex main job from last August, plus I am waiting for my P60 from my current employers, BUT I never received a P45 from the agency I worked through, and am not sure if I should have done, or as I am still "on their books" whether I should be receiving a P60 can anyone enlighten me the way agencies do these things ? I have tried ringing them but of course the department, person, i need is never available, and I am still waiting for them to return my call.

If the agency continue to not be helpful, would the payslips I have for the 6 weeks I worked for them be okay as proof ?

Any help gratefully received.

If you had got through to the tax office, they would have advised you to send in P60's + any P45's along with a covering letter saying you think you have overpaid. They will then do an assesment and send you a cheque if a refund is due (and it sounds like one is certainly due.)

Anyone who's books you are on on April 5th and has paid you in the tax year just ending has to send you a P60 by the end of May. If the agency had taken you off their books and you just never received the P45, ask them for a Statement Of Earnings, HMRC will accept this instead of a P45/P60.

With regards to this tax year, this is where phoning the tax office is better as they will issue a code to your employer in a few days, any tax overpaid this financial year will be repaid through your wages.

Most of the tax call centres are open at the weekend as well so maybe call then. 8:00 - 20:00 Sat + Sun

shorty31

Thank you so much to all of you for your help. I had an idea of what needed to be done, but not how to go about it. I am now clear, have put a request in writing to the agency for either a P60 or a statement of earnings.
Am about to start trying to get through to the tax office again. Am so glad it seems quite simple to get the tax coding sorted for this year
On the positive I would have boosted my little savings account when I get the refund