P45 and HMRC panic at new job HELP!

Clobbah81

Hi,

Have just started a new job. However I lied about my salary at the job interview and I have to know if I'll get found out.

However, there is a twist.

I said I earnt 28k + bonus instead of the 40k per anum I've actually earnt since April. I UNDERSOLD MY SALARY. I was feeling really stupid and nervous.

I am not too concerned about the P45 stating my total earnings since then as that just states accumulative earnings and I can pass the extra off as BONUS,

However, is there ANYWAY either online or through HMRC that my new employer can see the entire annual figure as it appears on my contract (i.e. 40k) that I was on in my last job? When I login to my personal tax account on HMRC I can see the total figure as it appears on my contract but also the total I had paid in that tax tear, I have to know if my new employer can logon and find out. The p45 on the other hand just notes the total I have been paid this tax year. I need to know if there is anyway HMRC will give my new employer the figure as it appears on my contract.

To reiterate, if it's just the total I've been paid for the five months since I got the pay rise I'll be okay. It's the black and white 40k figure that is going to get me booted out the door.

Please help; out of my mind with panic. I need to know if I should cut my losses and run.:(

TELLIT01

If you gave your new employer your P45 it will show total earnings for the year. HMRC won't have seen your contract of employment from the previous employer so can't give that type of detail. I don't know if your new employer will be able to see you pay history but I suppose it's a possibility with the new on-line system.
I don't understand why you should be concerned that you told the new employer you were earning less than you really were. I can't see why that would be of concern to them.

ReadingTim

Your P45 will show your new employer what you were paid by your last employer in the current tax year. However, it is purely factual - what has been paid. From that info someone could probably extrapolate forward what your annual salary was, but even if they could be bothered, there'd probably be a margin or error, plus distortions by things like salary sacrifice which would make that figure fairly unreliable.

Obviously, they could also get an idea of income from your tax code, but only very broadly, plus who's to say you don't have other sources of income such as a buy to let flat you're renting out?

On a more practical level, the part of HR which deals with payroll is usually a different part to the one which sits in on interviews, so it's unlikely the person who deals with your P45 knows what you said in the interview, and your new boss sure as anything won't do payroll - I'd be surprised if you were actually found out.

Finally, people usually lie about previous salary by inflating it, to get higher pay in the new role. If you undersold yourself, ie said you were paid less than you actually were, that's a far less serious 'crime' - in fact, the new company probably thinks they're getting you for a bargain price!

SuzieSue

As others have said, they won't be able to tell from your P45 or anything else that HMRC sends your new employer.

However, if they ask for a reference from your previous employer then they will probably ask for your leaving salary.

sangie595

Setting aside possibilities - why did you undersell yourself? Cos really, people who get caught do it the other way! So there must be a great reason for doing something so entirely illogical. Tell us what that is, and even if it is a problem, it should be something that can be recovered.

Clobbah81

I really wanted the job. My old company was dodgy. They never gave me a contract saying I earnt 40k - only 28k. I assumed naively this would be asked for during the interview. I also thought the last place was going under.

Tbh, being this dishonest has ripped me apart.

Clobbah81

That's already been covered the references said 28

Clobbah81

Thanks for your reply. Hope your right.

Manxman_in_exile

Just playing devil's Advocate here...


You "lied" at interview and understated your salary by £12k pa.


I've read threads on here which I have understood to say (I may be mistaken) that if you lie at interview it may not be a good thing, even after two years employment.


My Devil's Advocate question is: if you lied by deliberately understating at interview your previous salary (for whatever reason) can your employer sack you for lying to them at interview?


EDIT: Not intending to worry you OP because like most posters here I don't see how your new employer would find out and apparently your contract says 28k. Just an "academic" question.

sangie595

Provided that is the only lie that was told, you are fine. The employer isn't at all likely to dismiss a good employee just because they said their salary was lower than it was; and it is very unlikely that a tribunal would find that a fair reason the dismiss. The other way around, yes, that would potentially be more of a problem.

t0rt0ise

I wouldn't even give the P45. I never get them in time myself so just fill in the form that simply asks if this is your only job etc. The new employer then knows nothing and gets told what tax code to use.