Delays for P55 tax refund from HMRC

Sunshine_Girl21

Hello

I took a flexible drawdown pension payment  end of June and submitted a P55 first week of July, by post. HMRC's Government Gateway was saying to expect a response within 30 days. To date I have heard nothing regarding a possible refund and when I check for an update it has each time pushed the expected due date back. It is now showing 16 September 2025 as the date I should of heard and has said this for over a week. Is anyone else having the same experience, I have tried calling but was unable to get through after holding for 45 minutes so will have to try again.

The HMRC online digital assistant today is saying "You should receive a reply by 7 April 2026" so I am kind of wondering why HMRC are not saying on their online accounts that people should not bother completing a P55 but just wait until the new tax year arrives and they will then sort it out...

Feeling some what frustrated as was hoping to have refund to help with Christmas expenses not Easter!

Green_hopeful

Its very frustrating. You might find better advice if you get a human on the chat. I try shortly after they open and keep typing adviser until they put me through to a human. I thought i would be ok this year because I took my second years payment but no they took £4000 tax. When i did mine it said two months. 

Sunshine_Girl21

Many thanks Green_hopeful, I haven't managed to be put through to an advisor so will give this a try. 

molerat

Green_hopeful said:

Its very frustrating. You might find better advice if you get a human on the chat. I try shortly after they open and keep typing adviser until they put me through to a human. I thought i would be ok this year because I took my second years payment but no they took £4000 tax. When i did mine it said two months. 

That would likely be down to you not understanding how the PAYE system works.  If a code has been issued you only get 1/12th of that per month cumulative so you generally need to take a payment in M12, March, to get the tax right.  Taking it all early in the year results in "too much" tax being taken.

Sunshine_Girl21

molerat that's useful to know, thank you