Potential employee with no NINO

Bean_Counter

Hi,

We have recently interviewed a potential employee. He is a Lithuanian national, and since we already employ a few, we asked the usual questions about registration (based on our understanding of the rules when we last took some on.)

Anyway, it turns out that he does not have a NINO. However he does have a P60 and payslips showing NI being deducted and has worked in the UK for a few years.

Also the employers PAYE reference looked weird as it was, for example, 123/AB12345. Our ones has only numbers (as opposed to the accounts office reference.)

Should I be suspicious? Could he be legally employed and not have a NINO? Does the PAYE reference seem valid?

Thanks.

elfen

He needs a NINO to pay NI. If he hasn't got one, he can't pay it. You CAN get him to start, but you need to make it a clause of his contract that he gives you a valid NI connewcted to his name within 4 weeks or you can fire him.

trevormax

The employer reference looks fine. I have seen plenty of them with both letters and numbers.

I can't see how his previous employer could deduct tax or NI from him when he had no nino. How would they pay it to HMRC?

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers-bulletin/bulletin29/nino.htm this website details what the guy can do to get a nino and he could get on the "fast path" route.