P91 form received - I am at a complete loss - HELP!!!

jackal2k7

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here - hopefully I will be helped out with great advice

I recently started a permanent job, having contracted on an on/off basis during the past couple of months. When I left my last contract job prior to the permanent one, I have not been paid for that one yet since my job agency who dealt with that contract only invoice their client on a fortnightly cycle - so I have not had a chance to ask for a P45 yet (but I did stop contracting right before I started this permanent job, so even though I never had 2 jobs at the same time, it might appear so since my last P45 has not been issued).

However I have had my first payslip for my current permanent job, and it appears that I am on an emergency tax code. The HMRC has sent me a P91 form asking for details of my past few employers, but I really do not want that P91 to end up at my current employer for personal reasons.
I also do not have the time and resources to find the exact dates/employer names/employer addresses for all the contracts that I have done for the dates that they want during the previous and current tax year.

I have the following questions:

1. If I manage to obtain my last P45 from my previous employment agency, will the HMRC waive their requirement for me to send my completed P91?

2. Do employers have access to one's national insurance records?

3. Surely the HMRC can obtain all the info required in the P91 from the Inland Revenue - Why dont they do it that way instead?


I would really appreciate your contributions
THanking you in anticipation - Jacob

dzug

The P45 should waive the need for the P91.

I don't think you need list all the companies you worked at - you were employed by the agency, not them, so should only list that. Legally you only had one employer (unless you flitted from agency to agency)

I don't believe employers have access to your NI details

I doubt if the Inland Revenue can supply this information as quickly as you can - for a start there can be a long time lag before some of it gets to them.

jem16

jackal2k7 wrote: »

3. Surely the HMRC can obtain all the info required in the P91 from the Inland Revenue - Why dont they do it that way instead?

The Inland Revenue and HM Customs & Excise merged to become HMRC. So basically they are the same thing.

Best thing to do is get your P45. However HMRC may still want the P91 form filled in as they sent one to my son who had given in his P45 - possibly because he had a gap of around 8 weeks between jobs after finishing university and starting his first proper job.

System

jackal2k7 wrote: »

The HMRC has sent me a P91 form asking for details of my past few employers, but I really do not want that P91 to end up at my current employer for personal reasons.

The P91 has nothing whatsoever to do with your current employer and they would never ever have access to the information you put on the form. The P91 is simply a way for HMRC to ensure there are no unaccounted for gaps in your employment/unemployment history in the tax year.

Duckee

If you have not had too many jobs since the 6th April 2007 you can ring up the office that issued the P91 explaining details of jobs etc. This may be your quicker option as I know some offices have 6 to 8 week delay in dealing with post! Your current employer will have nothing to do with the P91 whatsoever it is purely a revenue form.