NI - qualifying year questions

bondy01

Got a letter today from HMRC about an NI shortfall at the end of 2008-2009 tax year. I'm just short of £200 for the year. I worked for three months in that tax year and paid some NI but not a huge amount. How much NI needs to be paid when working to gain a qualifying year? A year of voluntary contributions is over £600 but there is no way I paid £400+. On a second question the letter said I had 25 qualifying years. I think I have 2-3 more than that , do they keep records going back to the mid 70's when I was 16 so I could check that?

chrismac1

NI history is yet another area where HMRC records can be just plain wrong, so query them!

WillowCat

I think you have to earn the equivalent of a full year at the lower earnings limit for it to count as a qualifying year.

For 2008-9 the LEL was £90 so if your earnings were £4680 or more in total you should be OK.