Can I claim back national insurance?

DazzaMc

Not sure if this is the right section or not but I've been working with an agency since last october and when I get my wage slip I notice that sometimes I am charged national insurance and tax and sometimes I am not. Some weeks I earn more than others, so I presume this is the reason but my earnings do not go anywhere near the threshold for tax or national insurance. I have been refunded my tax but I wondered if I could claim back national insurance? One amount is for the tax year ending april 13 and one is from the current tax year...

Thanks

Darran

System

You can not claim NI back.
Whenever your gross earnings (per job) exceed £149 in a week then NI is due.

thenudeone

NI is calculated separately each pay period and if you are over the limit for that period, it will be due and payable even if you earn nothing for the rest of the year. Unless there is an error in the payroll (in which case your employer should make the adjustment), there is no way to get it back.

Tax is completely different and is worked out annually. The PAYE system makes a reasonable job of calculating the amount due each pay week or month, but in non-standard circumstances (eg irregular work, multiple income sources) PAYE may not work correctly and a tax return or other adjustment may be required to get the annual figure right.

DazzaMc

This page talks about claiming NI back but I don't really understand it -which type of NI I pay etc? Does it not relate to me?
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/refunds-complaints/claimback.htm

Caz3121

DazzaMc wrote: »

This page talks about claiming NI back but I don't really understand it -which type of NI I pay etc? Does it not relate to me?
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/refunds-complaints/claimback.htm

do you have more than one job and earn more that £797 per week?
are you self employed?

if you click the first link it will explain under what situations you may have overpaid
unlikely any of them apply to you unless there are details missing from your post

dzug1

That link applies if you have overpaid NI

From what you have said, you haven't.

Tax is averaged out over the year. NI is strictly per pay period

zygurat789

DazzaMc wrote: »

This page talks about claiming NI back but I don't really understand it -which type of NI I pay etc? Does it not relate to me?
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/refunds-complaints/claimback.htm

As an employee you pay Class 1.
The link tells you that you can reclaim if you have overpaid.
The examples of overpayment are described.
None of them fit your described circumstances.
No overpayment therefore no repaynent

chrisbur

DazzaMc wrote: »

This page talks about claiming NI back but I don't really understand it -which type of NI I pay etc? Does it not relate to me?
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/refunds-complaints/claimback.htm

This is referring to people who have paid more than the maximum NI for the year. This is usually due to someone having more than one employment and the sum of their employments is greater than the upper earnings limit ie over £817 a week.

DazzaMc

So it is charged based on what you earn during that week? Regardless of how little you earn over the year? I find that unfair? Can you apply for exemption like with class 2?

I am not self employed, I have 2 jobs but it is only part time while I am uni so don't earn much.

zygurat789

DazzaMc wrote: »

So it is charged based on what you earn during that week? Regardless of how little you earn over the year? I find that unfair? Can you apply for exemption like with class 2?

I am not self employed, I have 2 jobs but it is only part time while I am uni so don't earn much.

Who ever told you life was fair?
f you do not want to pay earn less than £149 pw per job.

McKneff

It would only be unfair if you were paying more than every other NI payer in the united kingdom.

You aren't.