PAYE tax reclaim

dlk

I always do a tax return for myself so know the deadline for that is approaching.

The question I have is with regards to my girlfriend who is a teacher so just pays PAYE tax. The last two years she has been overtaxed during the year and has been able to reclaim the overpayment as a lump sum (over £1000 both years). It has only just occured to me that I haven't checked her tax for tax year ending April 09 yet. To reclaim if she has paid too much is this subject to the 31/01/10 deadline as though submitting a tax return? I have asked her to get me her p60 from work today but I'm not sure if she will get this straight away (she hasnt got hers) so need this to check it for her. I doubt there is a deadline but just wanted to see if anyone knows for certain so that the urgency isn't quite as urgent!

System

Your girlfriend has 6 years to claim any refund if she is solely dealt with via PAYE and not Self-Assessment

PlutoinCapricorn

Yes, the 31st January deadline is for self assessment only. The number of years that you can go back may be reduced to 4 soon, and if you have paid too much tax the sooner you get it back the better.

It is a good idea to check everything yourself, although HMRC may soon be using a new system to calculate the overall position for PAYE people at the end of the tax year and issue refunds automatically.

Is your girlfriend claiming all the expenses that teachers entitled to?

FatAndy

Employers are required to provide employees with their P60s no later than 31st May following the end of each tax year. Your girlfriend should have been given hers six months ago.

TM1976

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

The number of years that you can go back may be reduced to 4 soon, and if you have paid too much tax the sooner you get it back the better.

Has anyone got any more information on this?

PlutoinCapricorn

I think that the new limit starts on April 6th 2010. I got this information from MSE, but it is not on the HMRC website yet.

TM1976

I've not heard anything on this, I though it was defined by the 1980 Limitations Act.

Any further info would be welcome.

Mikeyorks

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

but it is not on the HMRC website yet.

I remember reading the potential of the claim reduction period several months ago ..... it was on the HMRC site. But probably under the 'What's New?' section off the Homepage, as it doesn't readily show on a search. But I'm fairly sure there was no timeframe showing.

This from a different site holds hands with what I remember reading (apart from the dates!) :-

Time limits on claiming a tax refund

The time limit for claiming a tax refund is being reduced to four years. Currently, you can claim a refund within five years of 31 January following the end of the tax year in which tax was overpaid. The tax year runs from 6 April one year to 5 April the next year.
If you complete a self assessment tax return, the time limit will change on 1 April 2010. If you want to claim a refund on or after that date, you must do so within four years of the end of the tax year in which the tax was overpaid.
If you pay all your tax under PAYE and do not complete a tax return, the time limit will change on 1 April 2012. If you want to claim a refund on or after that date, you must do so within four years of the end of the relevant tax year.

dlk

Great thanks for the replies, I'll be doing it straight away but not quite the rush it could have been.

John_Pierpoint

Pam17 wrote: »

Your girlfriend has 6 years to claim any refund if she is solely dealt with via PAYE and not Self-Assessment

Are you sure?
You only need a very small amount of other income, such as having a modest savings account.
When my mother died in late April 2004, I knew she had not organised her annual repayment claim for 99/00, because she had a stroke in 1999 that removed her ability to do it.
(OK I should have "forced" her to do it, but those were difficult times)
I thought I had until the end of March 2005 to sort out the 6 years of muddle.

Oh no I didn't. When I sent in the bumph for the 6 years in February 2005 HMRC refused to accept the 99/00 stuff, because of the January deadline. Roughly a donation of 400 GBP to the public coffers.

Admittedly, pensioners have a more complicated tax system than ordinary wage slaves, because of additional personal allowance (and these days such things as the 10% rate and possibly married allowances) but there must be thousands of pensioners paying the incorrect amount of tax.

suso

for people making claims from previous years the time scales are changing.

Initially it depends upon whether you completed SA returns for the year in question.
If you were required to complete an SA return

2003/04 - Claim By 31/01/2010
2004/05 - Claim By 31/03/2010
2005/06 - Claim By 05/04/2010
2006/07 - Claim By 05/04/2011
2007/08 - Claim By 05/04/2012
2008/09 - Claim By 05/04/2013

For people who who haven't completed a self assessment record for the year of the claim and are dealt with purely through PAYE deadlines as follows
2003/04 - Claim By 31/01/2010
2004/05 - Claim By 31/01/2011
2005/06 - Claim By 31/01/2012
2006/07 - Claim By 31/03/2012
2007/08 - Claim By 05/04/2012
2008/09 - Claim By 05/04/2013

If you are PAYE and SA in the same year, then the SA deadline applies.
If you weren't required to complete a return for the year you wish to claim for, but have completed them for earlier or later years, then the Non SA deadline applies

more info here.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/deadlines-taxpayers.htm