Work from home tax relief - still paid via tax code adjustment if you claim via self-assessment?

pinkteapot

My husband claimed the relief using the microservice and his tax code was adjusted. I do self assessment though (employed PAYE now but self-employed years ago) so claimed on the form, following Martin's instructions. Submitted last week and the summary calculation that came up suggested I was owed the £60 for 2020-21. With self-assessment, I always tick the boxes to say that I want to pay any tax owing directly, or have any refunds paid to my bank account, rather than having my tax code adjusted. 

Just logged in and can't see a positive balance that would be sent to my bank account, so will I receive the money via a tax code adjustment like my husband? Martin said it's paid via code adjustment but I wasn't sure if that information applied just to the microservice or to both routes of claiming it. 

Not fussed if it is done via an adjustment - just want to know so I can make sure I get the money. 

pinkteapot

D'oh!! After reading other threads on here, I learned of the 'Personal Tax Acccount' section in HMRC online, where I can see my tax code and when it last changed... It changed two days ago to account for the £312 of expenses and I can see the new code. 

So, yes it's paid by code, and you can check your code online. Will check later that my employer has received it. 

I'll leave the thread here in case anyone else has the same question and searches. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

You have misunderstood.

Any tax relief due for 2020:21 will be given via your Self Assessment calculation.

Any adjustment to your 2021:22 tax code is to provisionally allow relief for 2021:22, not 2020:21, on the basis that you will make a similar claim again in 2021:22.

If that isn't the case you would be better getting the expenses removed from your 2021:22 tax code now and avoid an unnecessary bill when you come to file your 2021:22 Self Assessment return.

You need to check your Self Assessment account a few days after filing your return and the tax due or owed back to you from your 2020:21 return will show on your account.

pinkteapot

Thank you! I didn't realise that. 

That's fine - I've worked from home in 2021-22 as well, so changing my tax code for the current year to allow for that is fine. I'll just have to make sure the tax code goes back down next year. 

I might have to phone HMRC then - I submitted my return last week and when I logged in this morning, it said I don't owe anything, but didn't show them owing me £60, even though the calculation that appeared after submission said I had overpaid by that amount. 

I'll ring them when I can face their hold music. 

pinkteapot

Ok, so when I log in and view my tax calculation for 2020-21, it has this at the end: 


So the question is - how do I get that money? 

I don't want to leave it sat as a credit balance on my self-assessment account because I *never* owe tax. I only do self-assessment because I had to when self-employed some years ago. For several years now, I've only been employed PAYE as a basic rate tax payer. I don't have any other income, so never owe any tax. I've asked HMRC several times if I can stop doing returns and they say yes, but then still send me the letter saying I have to do one. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Are you 100% certain you actually submitted the return, as opposed to completing it and saving it ready for submission?

Once completed you should see your statement of account reflect the tax overpaid for 2020:21 and that will be automatically repaid if you completed the relevant boxes on the return.  But that takes a few days from submission to happen.  For example if you submit it today I would forget it for a few days and check back again on Monday.

pinkteapot

100% certain. It says it's submitted quite clearly and now shows the calculation in the screenshot above. I had an email confirmation of submission. I've done returns for about 15 years now. 

OK, so that credit should automatically get repaid... I'll keep an eye out for it and ring HMRC if it doesn't get paid out in the next week or so. I'm not in a desperate rush for the cash.

Thanks for the help - never been owed tax back before so didn't know how it worked. 

sheramber

Did you complete the section on the tax return asking for overpaid tax to be repaid and how you wanted it paid?