paid too much tax last year - when will it be paid back?

LindaJane47

Dear all

I'm asking this for a friend who found herself on BR tax code for part of the 10/11 tax year. She overpaid tax (not sure how much exactly, but a few hundred), which was fine - that's the system, but she hasn't had a rebate. She took her papers to the tax office in early June and they told her they didn't need to look at them, as the rebate would be automatic.

So our question is:
Is the rebate automatic or do we need to do anything else?

Thanks and regards
Linda (on behalf of Barbara)

McKneff

As far as Im aware a tax rebate for the year 2010/2011 has to be applied for.

A coverng letter and proof of earnings has to be sent with the request.

What papers did she take with her.

How mch tax did she pay in the year,
How much did she earn in the year.

jimmo

In theory, your friend's rebate should be made automatically but the question is when?
In my days on PAYE, there was one adding machine per office, we didn't have calculators, never mind computers. The "ANZT review", as we used to call it, meant that if you didn't ask for your rebate, we would normally get round to it but it could easily be not till the following March, sometimes later.
Nowadays in theory, the HMRC computer system can perform the "ANZT review" for the whole country in a matter of minutes.
So why hasn't your friend received her rebate?
Again in theory, all employers' PAYE Returns for 2010/11 should have been submitted by now and HMRC should have all the necessary details to enable them to make the repayment. A quick phone call may be all that is needed now to get the ball rolling.
My wife actually overpaid approx £15 in 2006/07 and, being a former taxman, I knew precisely how much she had overpaid but I made the decision that I would not waste my time or money, not to mention the blood pressure issues, phoning HMRC on an 0845 number.
She did eventually get her rebate about 2 years later.
As your friend has been on code BR for part of 2010/11it seems very likely that her rebate will be a lot more than my wife's £15 and she may need to think very differently than I did. If she is owed say £200 I would be up in arms hounding HMRC with formal complaints and complaining to my MP.
I think you need to think about posting the actual details.
How much did she earn in the tax year?
How much tax did she actually pay?
Someone on here will calculate how much rebate she is entitled to. Then you, or she can judge whether to sit back and let HMRC do their thing in their own sweet time or to go on the attack.

agrinnall

If she wants to do it quickly I'd suggest she does a Self Assessment tax return online, I got my refund paid into my bank account about a week after submitting the return. If the only income she has is through a single employment then the information she needs is on her P60 and it's very straightforward to enter.

Edited to add PS - are you sure that her 2011/12 tax code hasn't been amended to take the overpayment into account?

Tarasam

Ok so if it were me, I'd give HMRC a quick call, if all the details are held on the system for 2010/11 then the advisor can carry out the assessment immediately and release the refund.

Dont do a Self Assessment theres no point, and it'll get your friend into a system that he/she DOES NOT need to be in.

Their tax code WILL NOT have been changed for 11/12 to reflect the overpayment as the code would have been (more than likely)issued prior to the P60 details coming in to HMRC so wouldnt have been known about.

HMRC start taking calls at 8am, if you call then you should get straight through.

PS, make sure your friend calls themselves, they wont speak to you with auth from tp.

Dynamic_Panda

I called the tax office and explained to them that I did not think I had earned enough to pay tax in the last tax year as I was unemployed for a fair amount of time............they told me that I needed to obtain the info about what I had been paid by way of JSA for that tax year and they also requested the same for the previous tax year...........I sent it off about 4 weeks ago and it turns out that I have paid nearly £1000.00 too much in tax..........I have had the 10/11 part back but I am waiting for the 09/10 part to come through..............all because I was on emergency tax.............which I thought I was but was unsure..........

DP

LindaJane47

Dear all

Thanks for your replies!

McNeff - she took her p60s (several different jobs) and pay slips with her. She is going to bring them to me on Thursday so I can have a quick shufty and work out roughly how much tax she SHOULD have paid and how much she actually paid. She told me roughly what she'd earned and what tax she paid, so I know she has overpaid, but I'd like to check before I get into taking her down the tax office....

Agrinall - self assessment - no way I do a self assessment form for me and my husband, don't want to inflict that on her. her new code is 747, so overpaid tax isn't being paid back that way

Jimmo - yes, I thought it would be automatic too, especially since she got the right tax code for this year, but she could do with the money now really

Tarasam - yes, I think we need to get in touch with HMRC.... unfortunatley getting her to make the call herself is not an option - her English isn't great. I'll go to the Tax office in town with her... and/or write a letter instead. I've spent enough time on the phone with people refusing to discuss stuff with me even though I've got the poor-English speaker sitting right beside me and he/she has already given their permission... who was it who mentioned blood pressure???!!!

Thanks again for all your input - I'll let you know how she gets on
Linda

Tarasam

We have translators on the HMRC line, she could go through security with the interpreter and give auth for you to speak.