To ring HMRC?

[pizzaface31]

I'm about to start a job with an old employer but new company, and the last time I worked for them I was paying emergency tax every week (paid weekly) for months because HMRC dragged their feet updating my tax code. AIBU to ring them before I've started the job and let them know I will be working and what my tax code will be? I start work next week and haven't worked since July (I'm a FT student at a uni 250 miles away from where I'm working, work is seasonal)

[Littleallovertheshop]

It doesn't work like that..

[Answeringwhyquestionssince2002]

I'd use their online wrong-tax-code notification form once you've got your first pay packet. They are notoriously bad at answering their phones, often keeping you on hold for a good forty five minutes and then cutting you off.

[Katymac]

DD did this today - she went on line logged into her tax account and did the online chat to change her tax code- took 10 mins in all (including registering) -very easy

[Katymac]

But you do need your payroll no & pay slip (I think)

[harderandharder2breathe]

I'm not sure they can do it before you've actually started. But hmrc phone lines are notoriously hard to get through to so if you can do it online as pp said, do that as soon as you've started the new job (or try now, nothing to lose!)

[memememum]

I used the online wrong-tax-code notification form and it was very effective. There is a very large free text box so you can type in a whole explanation of the situation as well as giving the basic details they ask for. The only stumbling block was once it was sorted they rang me (to tell me it would be changing I presume) but wanted ME to confirm MY security details despite the fact it was THEM phoning! Of course I refused to give a random caller my DOB etc. They said they were unable to take incoming calls so I just said well if it was important they should write to me and hung up. At first I thought that was a hoax call, but my DH said it probably was HMRC as they are well known for being useless on the phone front due to being paired down to the enth degree by cuts. Anyway my corrected tax codes duly came through as I had requested them on the form (I wanted a specific split of my personal allowance between more than one job).

[pizzaface31]

Thank you! I'll wait till a week on Wednesday when I get paid and see if I get taxed and if I do I'll go online to do it rather than wasting hours on the phone, hopefully it will get sorted before christmas so i can go drinking buy presents

[NoMoreMissusNiceGuy]

I agree with PP ... do the online form.
I did the "share tax allowance with spouse" thing. It said it could take up to 6 weeks to take affect. I had my coding notice through to my employer within 2 days! And dh's new tax code came by letter less than a week later.
I was well impressed

[DiegeticMuch]

The online system is very good. Much better than the phones - the telephony staff are too few, variable in quality, and it takes a while to get through.

//Www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account

[whyohwhy000]

I thought you were automatically put on the right code if you had a P45?

[ElizaSchuyler]

Things happen much faster now there is Real Time Information.

You should only be put on emergency tax if you have two jobs. If you have 1 job then you either give your new employer your p45 from your old job or make a starting declaration that this is now your only job.

[nannynick]

You last worked in July, so you should give your new employer Parts2&3 of your P45 and they will then digitally notify HMRC that you have started working for them and using the P45 figures, your tax code will be allocated.

You should certainly keep an eye on it - the Personal Tax Account is useful for checking what jobs HMRC thinks you have and the tax code for each employment.

If after your first payslip you feel the tax code is wrong, notify HMRC using the online form and see if they issue a coding notice.

If you have not worked for a period of time, then you want a Cumulative Tax Code - that is a code which takes account of what you have earned during the entire tax year. You don't want a Week 1/Month 1 code which only looks at your pay each time you are paid.

Wait and see what happens. Give in your P45 as soon as possible so your employer. Look at payslip carefully to see what tax code is being used. A typical cumulative code is 1100L. A typical Week1 code is 1100Lx W1. A code which does not take account of any tax free allowance is typically BR.

TaxAid has useful information about what tax codes mean: taxaid.org.uk/guides/taxpayers/tax-for-employees/understanding-your-tax-code