Exaggerating my basic salary. Tips

sixstate

Long time poster but forgotten my username and since changed my email so can no longer use my old account!

Anyway, I digress.

I start a new job next Monday and have been handed my P45 by my old firm. Having looked at it, it lists my wage for the previous tax year. The problem is, I slightly exaggerated my earnings in my second interview, I'm sure I am not the first to do this.

Usually this would not concern me as HR are unlikely to sit in the interview. However, during my second interview, the HR and finance women sat in and have seen how much I claimed to be earning. A basic wage of £3400 more, plus annual bonus and pension contributions - the latter two are true.

My new company have been very generous in offering me £3000 above what they think I am earning, a total of £6400 basic wage higher than my current earnings. Whilst I am obviously not complaining about this, I wondered what would happen once they realise I have exaggerated my earnings?

I am sure this has been asked before but any advice guidance would be appreciated.

stephyt23

Well I'm sure you will find out soon enough if they query you on it. You shouldn't have lied about it in the first place so whatever they say you will have to get yourself out of on your own

sixstate

In my defence, I don't feel the wage I earned last year was truely reflective of what I've earned in the past.

Last year our department broke even so I did not receive a bonus, which is fair enough. However, the previous year I was given a £4000 bonus reflective on a percentage of the amount of profit we earnt.

In 2010, I also completed a further qualification to reach Chartered status, and was promised financial reward for this as well as a pay rise and a share of the 18% profit our department made.

The figure I mentioned at interview was the minimum I would have accepted if offered the job. I was just very fortunate that my new employees felt the need to offer me a further £3000 in order to have me on board.

viktory

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!" (thanks to Sir Walter Scott). Nothing you can do to wriggle out of this one. I'd be interested to see how it pans out but suspect you wouldn't tell us the truth anyway

Pete111

Its been a while since I administered a payroll but I think a P45 will not usually show your personal pension contributions or other legal salary sacrifices - I believe it covers taxable income only.

If this is the case (anyone able to confirm?) A very simple way of accounting for this embellishment would be to mention that you made sizable employee payments into your last company pension.

Edit

I think I am mistaken - Employers pension conts will not be shown but Employees will. Sorry!

tizerbelle

sixstate wrote: »

In my defence, I don't feel the wage I earned last year was truely reflective of what I've earned in the past.

So you figured lying to your new employer was a good way of getting back at your old one. Bonuses are bonuses, sometimes you get them sometimes you don't but your basic salary remains the same.

You should have been homest and said my salary was £k and I was part of a % bonus scheme. No need to disclose how much of the bonus you got.

You lied about your salary, I wouldn't employ a liar. You might get away with it, you might not. Only time will tell.

Pete111

tizerbelle wrote: »

So you figured lying to your new employer was a good way of getting back at your old one. Bonuses are bonuses, sometimes you get them sometimes you don't but your basic salary remains the same.

You should have been homest and said my salary was £k and I was part of a % bonus scheme. No need to disclose how much of the bonus you got.

You lied about your salary, I wouldn't employ a liar. You might get away with it, you might not. Only time will tell.

Meeeeiiiioooowwww....;)

stephyt23

tizerbelle wrote: »

So you figured lying to your new employer was a good way of getting back at your old one. Bonuses are bonuses, sometimes you get them sometimes you don't but your basic salary remains the same.

You should have been homest and said my salary was £k and I was part of a % bonus scheme. No need to disclose how much of the bonus you got.

You lied about your salary, I wouldn't employ a liar. You might get away with it, you might not. Only time will tell.

Pete111 wrote: »

Meeeeiiiioooowwww....;)

I totally agree with tizerbelle. I'd never even contemplate lying about something that I know ill only get found out. I wouldn't want to employ a liar either. In the back of mind I'd always be wondering what else they'd lied about

DizzleUK

This is one of those "hope for the best, expect the worst" scenarios.

You lied, and if your employer feels that part or all of the job offer was made on the basis of this false information they could withdraw their offer.

You have 2 choices:

1. Keep quiet and hope they don't figure it out.

2. Tell them you have made a boo boo and quoted the wrong salary figure at your interview (mentioning some guff about interview pressures etc) and see what they say (eg a revised salary offer based on the correct info).

The choice you make is between you and your conscience.

sixstate

I have my pay review letter, which I received the day after my second interview. The difference is closer to £1000 between what I would have been offered by my current employer and by new employer (by then I had already accepted the new job). However, on paper (P45) it looks like the basic salary I have asked for is far greater. I am willing to take this pay review letter with me if they question me, if this will help smooth out the situation.

seafarers_wife

do you have to hand in your p45 to your new employer? i was under the impression you could fill out a p46?? and send a copy of your p45 direct to the inland revenue or whatever they are now called.