partners ex employer not told hmrc that she left

adzesc

Hi all

Looking for a bit of advice.

My wife left her previous job back in January to start a new job. She didn't get a p45 and never gave it much thought.

We received a letter from council tax and housing benefit saying that not only are we no longer entitled to benefit but we owe £1179 in over payments. It specifically stated that this was because they had been informed by hmrc that my wife not only works at her current job but at her previous job as well.

I am making assumptions here but I take this to mean that her ex employer still has her on the payroll and has not informed anyone that she has left. It is also possible that hmrc has made a mistake

I would like to get this sorted asap and will be writing to the council Tuesday to appeal but we are worried we will lose our child and working tax credits until this is sorted which will put us under great financial strain.

How do you guys think we should approach this?

Thanks for reading

specialboy

Did she inform them that she had left her job?

Podge52

I've left many jobs and not once have I have I informed hmrc.

Voyager2002

So she changed jobs... if the new salary was different from what she was earning previously, she should have contacted the Council to report a change of circumstances. Anyway, by the sound of things they think that she is still receiving her old salary as well as the new one. So you need to write with details of what she was earning before and after the change, and perhaps ask them what information has been supplied by HMRc.

Incidentally, if she started her new job without a P45 it is probable that she has been paying far too much tax.

adzesc

Thanks for the replies.

My wife informed the council and tax credits a couple of weeks after she started her new employment even though the change in earnings was minimal.

The exact wording of the letter is "We have been informed by HMRC that you are working for new job aswell as old job"

robatwork

Start with a letter to HMRC stating dates of ending old job and starting new job.

Then letter to old job requesting P45

chrisbur

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Incidentally, if she started her new job without a P45 it is probable that she has been paying far too much tax.

I have no idea why this myth keeps on going.
When you start without a P45 your new employer should ask for a few details (covered by the starter declaration these days, used to be a P46) Provided the new employee gives the details required the emergency tax code can be used for most new employees. This will give the basic tax allowance that all are entitled to though usually applied in a simplified way. For most people this results in paying tax at or very close to what they would normally pay. Some will see an adjustment later but this could go either way as emergency tax is a best guess on limited information it is not designed to over-tax you.
If you decline to give the details needed to get onto emergency tax then you will be put onto a tax code that will in most cases over-tax you; so always remember first choice P45 but if no P45 give your employer the details they ask for so they can use the emergency tax code.