What is a P800?​

P800 RefundHow to claim a P800 refund from HMRC

If you're sent a P800 from HMRC, it means either:

• HMRC thinks your paid too much tax and are due a P800 tax rebate.
• HMRC has decided that you’ve paid less tax than you owe.

If the taxman says you've paid too much, you might be able to claim back the tax you’re owed online via the HMRC website: www.gov.uk/p800refund. That's usually the fastest way to get your money, and you'll probably have it in under a week. If you don't do this within 21 days, though, HMRC will just send you a cheque. You should have it within 6 weeks of the date on your P800. You can also make your claim through the HMRC app.

If you don't get the option of claiming online, they’ll send you a cheque. You don’t need to lift a finger, and the cheque should arrive within 2 weeks of the date on your P800. If your tax refund covers more than 1 year, they’ll send everything you’re owed together in one cheque.

HMRC can only pay you back for overpayments they know about, of course. If you’ve got work expenses that qualify for a tax rebate, you’ll need to claim for them yourself. You can do this online at the HMRC website, or get a professional tax expert to take care of it for you.

P800When do HMRC send out P800s?

HMRC will send out P800s after the end of the tax year (the 5th April). However, since the taxman's wheels tend to turn pretty slowly, you'll usually get your P800 between June and the end of November.

P800 RefundWhat should I do if I think my P800 is wrong?

Occasionally, you might find yourself with a P800 that looks wrong. The first thing to do is go through it carefully to track down the problem. Check the details against your P60, P45 and/or P11D forms. Look closely at the figures to make sure HMRC hasn't used any estimates in the calculations. If you still think it looks wrong, get on the phone to HMRC as soon as possible or talk to a tax expert.

If HMRC doesn’t have all the information it needs to work out the tax you owe, it sometimes uses estimated figures. You’ll need some documents to double-check their homework, like:

• Your P60s and P45s for the years in question.
• Any P11D forms you have showing the benefits and expenses you’ve received.
• Statements from your bank or building society to check the interest you’ve had.

If you’re getting any taxable state benefits, you’ll also want to compare HMRC’s figures with your own records. There’s a chance that some of those types of income will be lumped together as a single, combined total. If the number doesn’t look right, you should be able to get a full breakdown from HMRC or by checking your Personal Tax Account.

When you’ve arranged to pay through the PAYE system for any otherwise untaxed income you’ve got (like rent, for instance, if you’re letting out property), you might find HMRC has used estimated figures to calculate your tax. This can mean your PAYE tax code changes, and might not change back when you stop getting that income. Check the numbers HMRC has been working from, and kick up a fuss if they’re wrong.

At the same time, it’s worth putting some thought into anything HMRC might have missed. The taxman can only work with the information he has after all, and might not be up to date on things like:

• Any Gift Aid donations you might have made.
• Any contributions you’ve put into your pension.
• Your taxable state benefits and savings income.
• Any deductions or employment expenses you’re allowed to claim for, such as business use of your own vehicle.

While you’re at it, check that you’re getting the proper benefit of things like the Marriage Allowance or Blind Person’s Allowance, if you and/or your spouse qualify for them. Equally, though, you have to keep in mind any allowances HMRC has included in their calculation that you might not qualify for any more. Again, some of these might have led to a change in your tax code at some point, so check everything’s been recorded correctly.

One more tricky little wrinkle that might seem to mess up your P800 calculation is if you’re paid weekly. Basically, the way the calendar shakes out, some years might see you being paid 53 times instead of 52. Depending on your employer, that extra week’s pay might still factor your standard Personal Allowance into it, meaning you get a week’s tax relief that you technically didn’t qualify for over the year. Check your P60 to see if there’s a “week 53 indicator” listed.

P800 Tax RefundI didn't get a P800. Does that mean I can't claim a tax refund?

No, it really doesn’t. HMRC will only send you a P800 when they KNOW you’ve paid the wrong amount of tax. You might still be owed tax back for work expenses that vary from year to year, like travel to temporary workplaces. The taxman won’t know about those unless you specifically tell him. That’s why you need to keep records and claim your tax rebate each year – particularly if you work in a job involving a lot of time on the road. Construction and Armed Forces work, for example, can take a lot of mileage. If you’re not claiming back the tax you’re owed, you’re probably paying hundreds of pounds too much each year to the taxman!