Employer didn't pay my income tax!

jebeljees

Hello everyone! I wonder if anyone can help with a tax issue. I was living abroad for many years and went back to the UK to work a couple of years ago. One of the jobs I had was as an employee for a city council. I could only access payslips online and it was a faff so I didn't check them properly - I hold my hands up to that. Anyway, I've moved back abroad and checking my tax situation I've seen that I actually owe over 1k in tax because this council paid 0 tax on my behalf! I couldn't believe it as my contract clearly stated I was an employee, fixed hours etc. I have emailed the council but is it my responsibility to pay the money? I will pay it, but feel it's very unfair that the council get away with being completely incompetent. I can't really call the HMRC due to being overseas and I've heard people are left on hold for up to an hour. 

Thanks for any advice and good luck to you all. The last 2 years I spent in the UK were terrible in terms of rock bottom salary and high cost of living and if any of you are struggling, I do recommend looking at opportunities overseas. It's changed my life! 

Flugelhorn

wait and see what the council say 

were you full time or was it limited hours and you were actually under the tax threshold at the time for that employment? Did you have other income that year that has put you over the theshold?

molerat

Unlikely the council "didn't pay tax", more likely it would be a tax code issue which was your responsibility to ensure was correct.

Phoenix72

Before going into all out 'blame the council' mode (I doubt very much that they wouldn't have operated PAYE) establish exactly why you were underpaid.

Was the council job your only employment - you say one of your jobs so you may have been getting the benefit of your personal allowance twice - not neccessarily the councils fault.

Flugelhorn

presume if the council weren't given a code then they would have applied BR and taken the tax?

Hoenir

jebeljees said:

I have emailed the council but is it my responsibility to pay the money? I will pay it, but feel it's very unfair that the council get away with being completely incompetent.

Won't be the Council at fault.  Responsibility is yours to pay. . 

Grumpy_chap

jebeljees said:

Hello everyone! I wonder if anyone can help with a tax issue. I was living abroad for many years and went back to the UK to work a couple of years ago. One of the jobs I had was as an employee for a city council. I could only access payslips online and it was a faff so I didn't check them properly - I hold my hands up to that. Anyway, I've moved back abroad and checking my tax situation I've seen that I actually owe over 1k in tax because this council paid 0 tax on my behalf! I couldn't believe it as my contract clearly stated I was an employee, fixed hours etc. I have emailed the council but is it my responsibility to pay the money? I will pay it, but feel it's very unfair that the council get away with being completely incompetent. I can't really call the HMRC due to being overseas and I've heard people are left on hold for up to an hour. 

Thanks for any advice and good luck to you all. The last 2 years I spent in the UK were terrible in terms of rock bottom salary and high cost of living and if any of you are struggling, I do recommend looking at opportunities overseas. It's changed my life! 

The responsibility for the payment of the correct tax always remains with the individual.

It is unclear from the detail given whether the employer deducted tax and it failed to transfer properly and get credited to the individual's tax account.  In this case, it will be a matter for the employer and HMRC to locate the funds and allocate to the correct tax account.
OR, did the employer apply the tax code issued and the result was a zero deduction from pay, yet the overall tax liability for the year still amounted to the £1k that has now been identified?  In this case, it is all down to the individual.  The individual has benefitted from £1k in take home pay that they would not otherwise have benefitted from.

penners324

Wrong tax code on paye?

Have you checked your hmrc online account?