Can I claim back National Insurance

byb3

As a student I am working all the hours god sends in order to see the next year through, but I am now paying National Insurance at about £10/week. After working for 8 weeks this has added up.

Since I will still fall quite short of the £4,890 tax allowance, and I will work a lot less hours during the term dates, I could really do with the extra cash.

I feel that as usual, we students are getting shafted.

I am not expecting any good news!

Cheers,

Adam

Lia_3

byb3 wrote:

As a student I am working all the hours god sends in order to see the next year through, but I am now paying National Insurance at about £10/week. After working for 8 weeks this has added up.

Since I will still fall quite short of the £4,890 tax allowance, and I will work a lot less hours during the term dates, I could really do with the extra cash.

I feel that as usual, we students are getting shafted.

I am not expecting any good news!

Cheers,

Adam

If you are earning more than £82 per week then National Insurance contrubutions will be deducted. The lower earnings limit for NI is not the same as the tax allowance.

The various rates and limits are here

I would suggest you contact the National Insurance office and explain your situation to them in greater detail. They will be able to advise you on your possible courses of action. Their contact details are here

HGLTsuperstar

Unfortunately what Lia says is right. Check you're not being taxed, as that is a long nightmare to claim back, but any week you earn over the NI minimum, which I think is actually nearer £90, then contributions are taken. If its any comfort, which it wont be given how the system is likely to be in 40+ years, the argument is it contributes to your state pension! and if you ever claim JSA etc, your NI contributions can be considered
Yes students do get shafted, but this isn't actually such an example

wallace_3

I've contacted the Inland Revenue in relation to this matter, and they have confirmed that NI contributions cannot be claimed back.

Lia_3

Wallace, I think HMRC have slightly misled you there.

If, after the end of the tax year, the maximum NI contributions due turn out to be LESS than the NI contributions actually paid, then a refund of the balance can be obtained. After all, HMRC can only keep what they are legally entitled to. However, this is only ever done after the end of the tax year.

Repayments normally only occur when multiple, highish income, employments/self employments are held and the appropriate steps haven't been taken to ensure NI is deducted at the correct levels during the course of the tax year.

It is far better though to sort out the situation during the tax year than leave it until after it has ended.

HGLTsuperstar is absolutely correct. £82 per week is the lower earnings limit, but contributions are not normally collected until earnings reach the primary threshold of £94 per week. If your weekly pay is between those 2 figures and you are on a payroll your income for such years will count towards your pension credits, even though you are not actively paying NI contributions.

MUHAMID

i dont know more about tax. but i earn avg.400 pounds a month.so its 100(avg) per week.so how much can they charge?dey charge on 12 pounds(100-82)?or dey charge on all 100?and can i apply for rebate?

Savvy_Sue

MUHAMID wrote:

i dont know more about tax. but i earn avg.400 pounds a month.so its 100(avg) per week.so how much can they charge?dey charge on 12 pounds(100-82)?or dey charge on all 100?and can i apply for rebate?

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking here. But if you look at your payslip, check what Tax Code is showing and how much is being taken off for tax and National Insurance.

On £400 per month gross you are around the threshold where you may have to pay a little bit of income tax, and you certainly have to pay National Insurance. You can't reclaim National Insurance, which is deducted roughly as a percentage of ALL your earnings, not just those over the earnings limit. If you pay too much tax you can reclaim it at the end of the year (April 2006). If you gave your employer a P45 or P46 at the start of your employment, they should be getting their sums right.

There is a calculator somewhere which lets you check the figures from your payslip but I'm afraid I don't know where - anyone?

MUHAMID

Thanks savvy_sue.i'll check my payslip next time.