52 or 53 WEEKS IN TAX YEAR?

icicles

Does anyone know if I should put 52 or 53 weeks in Tax Year 2015-2016 tax return? My pension for that year was paid on Monday 6th April 2015 and the last payment was on 4th April 2016. If I work on 52 weeks it is the exact amount 'The Pension Service' letter said I would have for the year. If I put 53 weeks the figure will obviously be 1 week higher.
Any help will be gratefully received.

polymaff

icicles wrote: »

Does anyone know if I should put 52 or 53 weeks in Tax Year 2015-2016 tax return? My pension for that year was paid on Monday 6th April 2015 and the last payment was on 4th April 2016. If I work on 52 weeks it is the exact amount 'The Pension Service' letter said I would have for the year. If I put 53 weeks the figure will obviously be 1 week higher.
Any help will be gratefully received.

I've been trying to get HMRC to address this issue. Can I suggest that you go online to do your self-assessment, see how HMRC have pre-populated the relevant field - and then let us know?

EDIT: HMRC Advice: "If you receive State Pension for the full year to 5 April 2016, to calculate the total amount you were entitled to for the year, multiply your weekly entitlement by 52. If your weekly entitlement changed during the year you'll need to multiply each amount by the number of weeks for which it was received up to a maximum of 52 weeks."

Which implies that there never is a week 53 - crazy, and in conflict with other HMRC advice.

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/information/help?helpcategory=selfAssessmentFiling1516&affinitygroup=&helpid=statePensionHelp

suso

Is the state pension still taxed on an entitlement basis these days.

eg you receive 100.00 per week, you are entitled to 52 weeks x 100.00 = 5200.00 (the extra day is disregarded from memory.)

It doesn't matter when you receive the payments.

If you got a tax code with a deduction for state pension, use the figure quoted, its easier.