P45 and HMRC panic at new job HELP!

Savvy_Sue

I cannot be completely confident about this, but reasonably so ...

Clobbah81 wrote: »

1: does your employer (or anyone else for that matter) have access to detailed records that show your gross pay on a month by month basis? Or do they just get to see the total for each tax year

Your employer has access to the total, and only the total for the CURRENT tax year, for any previous employment. (Obviously your current employer has access to everything there is to know about your current salary, when it's paid, what it's composed of etc.)

HMRC know - be worried if they DON'T know! - what you were paid when and what deductions were made for every single month since any employer you were with entered RTI.

Prior to RTI, detailed reporting of individual amounts was only done at the end of the year. The employer was required to make monthly (or quarterly if small) payments to cover PAYE and NI for all staff, but these were not broken down. Thus it was possible (but inadvisable) to underpay HMRC, as long as you could balance your books with them at the end of the year.

No-one else would legitimately have any of that information unless you supplied it, AFAIK.

Clobbah81 wrote: »

2: who has access to your historical tax records kept online? (Is 2015)

You, HMRC, anyone you've given them to (note I don't think you can allow online access to YOUR tax records to anyone else...), and any really skilled hacker with the time and inclination.

Clobbah81 wrote: »

Can these also be accessed by your employer?

Your current employer cannot access your tax records for previous employment. Unless you're working for that really skilled hacker with the time and inclination ...

Various organisations can require current and previous employers to give them information about your earnings: eg Council Tax, I believe Child Support and its replacement. And they'll ask you at the same time.

But it does seem like a non-issue - and if it worries you this much, consider telling the truth in future. Actually do that anyway ...

Clobbah81

Savvy_sue

Thank you so so so much for taking the time to write this detailed reply.

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