P60 Tax Refund Calculator

You may have overpaid if you left a job mid-year, were put on an emergency tax code, had multiple employments, or made pension contributions that weren't reflected in your tax code. Check your P60 (issued by April after the tax year end) — compare the tax deducted against what you should have paid based on your income and personal allowance. HMRC also runs automatic checks and may send you a P800 tax calculation.

You can claim a tax refund for the current tax year plus the previous 4 tax years. For example, in 2026/27 you can still claim refunds back to 2022/23. After 4 years, the right to claim expires. Submit claims via your Personal Tax Account on GOV.UK, by phone to HMRC, or by posting form R40 for repayment of tax deducted from savings and investments.

An emergency tax code (often shown as 1257L W1 or 1257L M1 on your payslip) means HMRC hasn't confirmed your correct tax code to your employer. On an emergency code, your personal allowance is only applied to that pay period — not cumulatively for the year. This typically results in overpaying tax, especially if you start a new job without providing a P45. Once HMRC issues your correct code, overpaid tax is usually refunded through your pay.

Sometimes. HMRC runs automatic reconciliations after the tax year ends and sends a P800 if they think you've overpaid or underpaid. However, this doesn't catch everything — especially pension relief claims, work expenses, or situations involving multiple income sources. It's always worth checking yourself using your P60 rather than waiting for HMRC to notice.

Yes. If you make personal pension contributions under "relief at source," your provider adds 20% basic rate relief automatically. But if you're a higher rate (40%) or additional rate (45%) taxpayer, you need to claim the extra relief yourself — either through Self Assessment or by contacting HMRC. This is one of the most commonly missed tax refunds for higher earners.