Tax Reclaim for working part year only

EdGasket

My daughter worked for about 4 months of the last (08/09) tax year but was taxed each month as if she would be working all year. In the 4 months she did not earn more than the tax-free allowance and so should be able to claim the tax back. However after the 4 months, she then went to Germany and did some language teaching work but paid no tax in Germany. Would the UK tax office be interested in any way in the work done abroad ? If not, how can she reclaim the tax paid for the 4 month's work? She is currently a student and has no tax office as she isn't working so who should she contact about claiming tax back?

suso

she would have had to fill in a P85 when she left the country, yes they would be interested in the foreign income (doesn't mean tax is due)

Her tax office would be her last one before she left the uk, it would be mention on the p45,

now that she is back in the uk she should complete a p86

both the p85/86 can be downloaded from https://www.hmrc.gov.uk

Pumpkinface_2

Yes, the tax office would definitely be interested in the overseas income as your daughter was tax resident and therefore liable to income tax on worldwide earnings. If your daughter adds up the total amount of UK and German earnings, deducts her PA for the year, she can easily calculate what tax should have been paid and therefore what rebate (if any) is due.

EdGasket

No P85s or P86s filled in. She didn't know about them.

'Yes, the tax office would definitely be interested in the overseas income as your daughter was tax resident and therefore liable to income tax on worldwide earnings.'

So rather than getting a rebate, if she contacts the tax office, she will likely get a tax bill instead of a rebate (I'm sure for the year she would have been over the personal allowance) ? As she has no money, it may be better to say nowt and do nowt then !

Pumpkinface_2

It is really impossible to say whether she is due a rebate or a refund or even which is more likely, without knowing the figures. If you wanted to post up, UK and German earnings and UK tax deducted then it would be easy to calculate.

If she earned a fair bit in Germany then yes she might owe tax. Being over her personal allowance is not the only test though, she has already paid some tax remember, so it depends how much she is over the personal allowance.

It may be financially better to say nowt, but it is illegal.

EdGasket

Thanks Pumpkin. I think I could work out whether tax would be due or not. The difficulty would be in getting any figures out of my daughter !