P45 and total earnings query

[fairyjasmine]

This is the back story...
I finally received my P45 (hooray!) but the total earnings fields in sections 7 and 8 are blank. Does this sound right? I did query it with my ex employer and apparently it's because I was paid on a week 1 month 1 basis. It's been a long time since I last got a P45 but I thought one of their functions was to show how much the employee has earned to date?
I also (finally) got my outstanding payslips. However, I disagree with the 'gross to date' figure that's on them. The number on my final pay slip (also the number that's been reported to HMRC) is NOT the amount I was actually paid. My previous post was about an overpayment that they feel occured, and the 'gross to date' figure is based on the work they feel they should have paid me for and not the figure that actually went in to my bank account. So, as an example, say they actually paid me £500 over the two-month period, but what they've said they've paid me is £100 because that's how many hours I put in. Surely the figures should match up with what I was actually paid, and any changes that may later occur in relation to this so-called overpayment would then count as an amendment?
I am going to have to email them and let them know that I disagree. I'm utterly dreading it but I know it has to be done because otherwise this could easily come back and haunt me (or them) in future. I suppose I was just wondering if anyone has had an experience of this sort of thing, or can tell me for certain that the higher figure should have been the one they reported.
Do you think it's worth going to the CAB at this stage?

[daisychain01]

If they didn't get a P45 from a previous employer they have probably put it on an emergency tax basis, as if you haven't yet paid tax in the current t tax year, so it won't have any YTD figures on that P45. That said, they should have declared your earnings correctly to the tax office by law, so the tax office will have your correct YTD figures and they would create the correct tax code, which you can get from them, and that can be used for your new employer, so they can deduct correctly in future.

I agree that they should use actuals, not what they "think" they should have paid you. So if you can prove the Actual payment eg what went into your bank account then I would take that evidence to them and discuss it with the payroll dept, see what their reaction is.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Oh dear fairy they are really messing you about. I think you really are at the point of needing professional advice.
They should not have been paying you on week 1, month 1 all year, but this is their mistake not yours. Who did the payroll? Is a well meaning committee member.
I would be suspicious that with everything else that they have not done their RTI correctly.
You need to start protecting yourself.

[fairyjasmine]

Daisychain01 - thanks for explaining, I didn't realise it was some sort of emergency tax thing. I was there for 5 years so I'm surprised this was still the case!
Lonecat - Yes, well meaning committee member is spot on. It makes it all seem quite difficult because I know this isn't some big, faceless cooportation but a local community run effort that relies a lot on volunteers and favours.
I'm not willing to put myself in the position of declaring the lower figure on my self assessment & tax credit renewal when I know it's incorrect. Equally, if I declare the higher figure and it doesn't match up with their records, that could potentially get them in to quite a lot of trouble couldn't it?
I think I'm going to start by emailing them to say I disagree with the gross to date figure of X because I can see from my bank statements and previous payslips that I've actually been paid Y. I'll see what they say, and take it to the CAB if they start going on about overpayments. It has occured to me that they might try and phone me or to arrange a face to face meeting but it's best to try and conduct everything in writing isn't it? (I hope so because the thought of sitting through a meeting makes me feel quite panicky!!)

[Lonecatwithkitten]

In the past have you had P60s and if you get them P11Ds. Regardless of whether they are volunteers they have legal obligations as employers and this beginning to smack of them not completing these.
I would worry that tax and NI have not been paid correctly which could have long term implications for you.

[fairyjasmine]

I didn't get a p60 every year. When I went through my files I found 3 out of a possible 6. However my total earnings were always well within my allowance and any tax I did pay was returned by HMRC at the end of the year.

[TheGirlFromIpanema]

Non cumulative tax codes (week 1/month1) mean there are no year to date figs in P45. On phone so not read linked thread, but that bit is normal.

As for the total earnings fig, if its the way round you describe (ie they've overpaid you, not vice versa) then I wouldn't worry tbh.

Sometimes errors are written off, they'll simply bear the tax on the overpayment, or not. But that specific error won't cause you hassle and you've had tax free cash off the ex employer!!

[TheGirlFromIpanema]

Also, for the purposes of WTC I would simply give them the higher figure. That bit is important ☺