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Confused with regards to tax refund on tax return
dude7691
Posts: 120 Forumite
Hi everyone 
So I'm a little confused here. Filling out a tax return for the first time. I'm doing it through HMRC's website, online. Throughout the tax year 2019/20, I earned a total of £1949 from self employed activities, and £10548 from a job. During that tax year, I was having tax taken off my wage, even though I never ended up earning the personal allowance of £12.5k. Therefore, I contacted HMRC and got the tax back, which was a total of £377. The issue is this:
On my tax return, on the "Have you had any 2019-20 Income Tax refunded or off-set by us or JobCentre Plus?" question I put "yes" because I had tax refunded from that year (it was paid to me on 30th Apr 2020). Then:
So I'm a little confused here. Filling out a tax return for the first time. I'm doing it through HMRC's website, online. Throughout the tax year 2019/20, I earned a total of £1949 from self employed activities, and £10548 from a job. During that tax year, I was having tax taken off my wage, even though I never ended up earning the personal allowance of £12.5k. Therefore, I contacted HMRC and got the tax back, which was a total of £377. The issue is this:
On my tax return, on the "Have you had any 2019-20 Income Tax refunded or off-set by us or JobCentre Plus?" question I put "yes" because I had tax refunded from that year (it was paid to me on 30th Apr 2020). Then:
You have said that you had tax refunded or set-off by us or Jobcentre Plus in the tax year 6 April 2019 to 5 April 2020. Please complete the following question. Income tax refunded or set-off: (optional)
I entered £377 on this section.
Finish off doing my return and it says I owe £377 to them, despite the fact my total income is £10548 from my main job, £1949 (minus the trading allowance, so £949), and then £52 in savings interest, totalling £11,549 according to their calculations. That tax was overpaid, and HMRC approved a refund, so why would I have to pay £377? If I change it to say I didn't get a refund from that tax year, it's £0. I'm guessing it's because that form doesn't take into account that I'd already paid £377 earlier in the year in tax (the overpayment).
Should I just leave the "Have you had any 2019-20 Income Tax refunded or off-set by us or JobCentre Plus?", as a no?
Thanks in advance.
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Comments
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I doubt very much HMRC refunded this tax to you.
Was it not your employer who refunded it?
Or was it DWP, as the benefits agency, not as your employer (if that's who you happened to have worked for).1 -
It would be unbelievably quick of HMRC to refund tax for the year ended 5th April 2020 on 30th April 2020! Are you sure the refund didn't relate to an earlier year?1
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Hi DazedDazed_and_C0nfused said:I doubt very much HMRC refunded this tax to you.
Was it not your employer who refunded it?
Or was it DWP, as the benefits agency, not as your employer (if that's who you happened to have worked for).
Sorry I should have said this. I had a major foot injury at work when in December 2019, so I had to quit my job around then, been self employed since. I directly requested the refund from HMRC. The creditor on my bank statement reads as "HMRC PAYE" - £377.40. So yes, I think it was HMRC.0 -
I'm 100% surenick74 said:It would be unbelievably quick of HMRC to refund tax for the year ended 5th April 2020 on 30th April 2020! Are you sure the refund didn't relate to an earlier year? I manually requested the refund from them via the website just after the 2020-21 tax year began, as I needed the money quite urgently at the time. 15th April requested, was paid to me on the 30th. Very quick I know! Was an overpayment from the employment period 19th April 2019 - 30th November 2019. So yes, within that tax year. 0 -
Can you confirm what you have entered on the "employment" page of the return?
Just the pay and tax deducted figures will be enough.1 -
Just to update this yes, I think I may have made a mistake here:Dazed_and_C0nfused said:Can you confirm what you have entered on the "employment" page of the return?
Just the pay and tax deducted figures will be enough.
This is what I've entered on that section. I'm guessing here I should be putting the 10548 (listed as total pay on P45) for the first box and then the 377 in the second box too?0 -
Indeed. If the op entered no tax, as opposed to the tax that was deducted from the employment, there would be no overpayment due as no tax was deducted. Obviously tax of £377.40 should be entered on the employment page which will be counteracted by the refund paid leaving no payment due or repayable.Dazed_and_C0nfused said:Can you confirm what you have entered on the "employment" page of the return?
Just the pay and tax deducted figures will be enough.1 -
To all have replied, thank you! I think I've got it now. Entered £377 as paid, then refunded. So even though it worked out to net zero, I still needed to input it. Apologies if I seemed a bit dumb this is my first time doing a return, better to ask you guys than ring HMRC and wait 15 mins to get through and try to do it verbally
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It is always possible (though unlikely) that both the employer and HMRC refunded the same £377 but if the employer didn't refund the tax then the op hadn't completed the return correctly first time round.[Deleted User] said:
Indeed. If the op entered no tax, as opposed to the tax that was deducted from the employment, there would be no overpayment due as no tax was deducted. Obviously tax of £377.40 should be entered on the employment page which will be counteracted by the refund paid leaving no payment due or repayable.Dazed_and_C0nfused said:Can you confirm what you have entered on the "employment" page of the return?
Just the pay and tax deducted figures will be enough.2 -
That's correct, I'm sure HMRC paid it. My employer definitely didn't bother making sure I got it back as I had to contact HMRC myself. Pretty sure it's all correct nowDazed_and_C0nfused said:
It is always possible (though unlikely) that both the employer and HMRC refunded the same £377 but if the employer didn't refund the tax then the op hadn't completed the return correctly first time round.[Deleted User] said:
Indeed. If the op entered no tax, as opposed to the tax that was deducted from the employment, there would be no overpayment due as no tax was deducted. Obviously tax of £377.40 should be entered on the employment page which will be counteracted by the refund paid leaving no payment due or repayable.Dazed_and_C0nfused said:Can you confirm what you have entered on the "employment" page of the return?
Just the pay and tax deducted figures will be enough. Thanks again 2
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