Mistakes on P45

thegirlintheattic

I've been going to and fro between my old employer to get a P45 for a couple of months now, partly as my old boss had left and partly because there is a dispute over when I left (I say Sept 2009, they say Jan 2011 even though I was living 300 miles away from the job between those dates!).

I've just received my p45 and it has my leaving date as March 2011 - which makes no sense and also has £0 as my total pay in the employment - doesn't make sense either.

So two questions:

1) Does it matter that the information is incorrect in terms of future employers? (I have a new job that I am starting next month who have not asked to see my P45 due to the issues getting it)

2) Does this affect what I put on my CV? I don't want to put my leaving date as 2011 as I didn't work for them after 2009, but if an employer calls them up they are going to say 2011. Will it look like I'm trying to hide something? I have proof that I was in full-time education between 2009-2011 at the other end of the country.

3) Who do I call to correct the P45 - the old employer or HMRC?

Argh!

Sambucus_Nigra

I can't see how they have got those dates and your wages so wrong!

When you left in 2009, what happened? Why would they think you left in Jan 2011?

thegirlintheattic

I was a casual worker so was on a database and they would call me when needed. I worked every week for 5 years and I verbally informed my boss when I was moving and said I would no longer be able to work and could they sort it all out. They said yes, and as I was young and naive, I didn't think about providing anything in writing. Even through my line manager was clear I was going for good (leaving party and everything) their line manger apparently thought that I still wanted to be kept on payroll in case I wanted to come back and do casual work. Which is how they still think I was employed. This is complicated by the fact they paid me for an hours work in Jan 2011, which I didn't find out about till last month, which I am in the process of sorting out with them.

As for wages I have no idea, as by my estimates (payslips are with my parents) I earned about £15,000 with them.

I should add that the bosses on the floor are clear about dates etc. but I have to talk to payroll who seem to have a computer says... attitude as it is a very large company.

SueC_2

I may be wrong, but I don't think this is a problem.

The figures on your P45 only relate to the current tax year. If they have you down as officially leaving in 2011 (when they removed you from their payroll system), but didn't actually pay you anything after you stopped working in 2009, then yes, the P45 should show a zero earnings figure, so is completely correct.

Given that the P45 is dated March 2011, and you haven't yet started a new job, when you do start a new job the P45 will be worthless to them anyway, because it was for last tax year. They will ask you to fill in a P46, and everything will be straight.

With regard to your CV, I'd stick with the truth - you stopped working for them in 2009 and then spent 2 years in education. If the 2011 end date ever comes to light (which I very much doubt it would) it's easily explained as an admin error. As you say, you can prove you were in college during that period.

thegirlintheattic

The P45 is actually dated three days ago but with a leaving date of March 2011.

Thanks, for my current job I've had a background check so am just a bit paranoid in case the P45 affects that, but as it turns out I don't have to show it if it is out of date then that's fine.

chrisbur

The figures that appear on a P45 only relate to the tax year that it refers to. In your case the P45 has been dated March 2011 so would only have earnings for tax year 2010/2011 which as you left in 2009 would be zero. Not sure about the hours work paid in Jan 2011, was this an error? If it was paid to you then that should have been on the P45 for 2010/2011.

From a practical point of view with your new employment, if you hand in the P45 they should then put you onto the current emergency code applied on a week1/month1 basis. If however you have had no taxable income for this tax year so far I would recomend asking for a P46 (strictly speaking one should always be offered if a P45 is not handed in but this does not allways happen)and not using the P45. Complete the P46 to show that you have not had any taxable income (work or benefit) and your new employer can then use the current emergency code on a cumulative basis.

Regarding the CV I would think best just to say what happened, you left in Sept 2009 but due to the message not getting through to the payroll dept. you were not taken off their books untill March 2011.

Sambucus_Nigra

I'd ditch that P45, as Sue says, complete a p46 and if asked, on your CV that you ceased working for the company on X date but were on their books until Y date as it was left open-ended.

thegirlintheattic

Thanks, I will ask for a P46 when I start.

redcard

You're worrying about nothing. Your old employer forgot to remove you from their payroll system. This is a fairly common admin error, and I don't see how any future employer would bother questioning it.

saintjammyswine

^^^the only issue would be that a semi auto reference from a computer system would show different leaving dates so best to let them know in advance of the error.

redcard

saintjammyswine wrote: »

^^^the only issue would be that a semi auto reference from a computer system would show different leaving dates so best to let them know in advance of the error.

Not really an issue, as it's easily explained. Unless there's something you're not telling us.