I don't live anymore in the UK...Can I claim tax credits for last tax year?

Tweener

Hello, I worked in the UK between August 2009 and February 2010. While I was there, I received working tax credits for the tax year 2008/2009.
In February I left the UK, notified HMRC, and my payments stopped (there was also a little overpayment that I refunded them).
Now that a new tax year has started, can I claim tax credits on my earnings for tax year 2009/2010 (gross earnings were about 8K £)? I spoke twice with HMRC:
1 - Once they told me "Yes", and to wait for the renewal pack (at my address in Italy)
2 - I still haven't received my renewal pack, so I called again, and this time they told me I can't claim tax credits, since I don't live anymore in the UK.

Who is right?

DX2

Number 2 is correct.

kelloggs36

Why would you think you could claim tax credits whilst living outside of the UK? Is it permanent?

Tweener

Yes, I don't live anymore in the UK (permanently), but I lived there during last tax year, and I though entitlement over tax credits depends on your status relative over the previous tax year...

AnxiousMum

Wouldn't you claim any credits that might be available in the country you are living in, contributing to, and paying taxes to?

Wee_Willy_Harris

AnxiousMum wrote: »

Wouldn't you claim any credits that might be available in the country you are living in, contributing to, and paying taxes to?

Crazy idea, but it might just work!

JC9297

Your entitlement is based on your current circumstances but the amount you receive is based on your income from the previous tax year.

Deepmistrust

Tweener wrote: »

Yes, I don't live anymore in the UK (permanently), but I lived there during last tax year, and I though entitlement over tax credits depends on your status relative over the previous tax year...

Your eligibility depends on your status AT THIS TIME.

Your status at this time, is what grants you TC. It's merely calculated on the earnings of the previous year.

DX2

Tweener wrote: »

Yes, I don't live anymore in the UK (permanently), but I lived there during last tax year, and I though entitlement over tax credits depends on your status relative over the previous tax year...

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/not-in-UK/live-out-of-UK.htm
Who can get tax credits?

Normally you have to live in the UK to be able to claim tax credits. The UK is made up of:

• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland

It doesn't include the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
But you may be able to claim tax credits if you live outside the UK and one of the following applies:

• You're a Crown Servant who has been sent to work overseas by your employer. You may be a civil servant employed by the UK Government or a member of the armed forces.
• You regularly travel to the UK for work as a cross border worker, for example you live in the Republic of Ireland but you work in Northern Ireland.
• Your partner is a Crown Servant working overseas and you’ve gone with them.

You may also be able to claim tax credits if you don't live in the UK, but your partner works as a Crown Servant.

kb92830

OP, you seem to have confused the facts here, you have already been paid tax credits for the tax year 2009/2010 but the provisional amounts would have been calculated based upon your 2008/2009 earnings. The fact that you have notified the HMRC about leaving the UK and they identified an overpayment which you have now refunded supports this.

As other posters have stated, now you are no longer a resident of the UK means you cant now have a TC claim running in the UK unless you meet very specific criteria. What I think you thought was that the tax credit award was paid in the following tax year where as, in reality it isnt, it is paid in the actual tax year just calculated on the previous years earnings