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Original poster

Do HMRC return small tax overpayments, or just big ones?

31 replies

flabbergaster · 20/12/2023 17:16

My student son earned about £3500 in the 2022-23 tax year, across 2 casual jobs. One of the employers mistakenly deducted about £45 income tax from his first payment. We have been trying to follow HMRC instructions for claiming it back, but when he logs into his Personal Tax Account it says he has paid the correct amount. I don't think this is correct, so he is planning to phone the helpline tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm wondering if the overpayment might simply be too small for them to automatically refund it. Does anyone have experience of claiming back small overpayments?

OP posts:
velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 17:19

i believe £50 is the cut off? on both sides ie under or over payment

but not sure

TheFlis · 20/12/2023 17:21

They paid me back £42 they owed me last year. Not sure what the process to get it was though as it was arranged by my accountant.

PickledPurplePickle · 20/12/2023 17:25

Are you sure it wasn't automatically refunded the next month when the tax code changed? Check his payslips

He won't have any luck with HMRC until February on the phone now, as they have cut back services until then

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Flossflower · 20/12/2023 17:28

I have found in the past with HMRC that an old fashioned letter works

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 17:29

TheFlis · 20/12/2023 17:21

They paid me back £42 they owed me last year. Not sure what the process to get it was though as it was arranged by my accountant.

his fee to process was probably more than the £42!

Chasingsquirrels · 20/12/2023 17:29

Flossflower · 20/12/2023 17:28

I have found in the past with HMRC that an old fashioned letter works

In the past maybe!

I wrote in Jan 2020 re DPs tax reclaim. He finally had a reply Sep 2023! They did apologise for the delay in responding.

We've had similar timescales at work (accountancy firm) as well.

Can only hope that they are catching up....

Original poster
flabbergaster · 20/12/2023 17:34

PickledPurplePickle · 20/12/2023 17:25

Are you sure it wasn't automatically refunded the next month when the tax code changed? Check his payslips

He won't have any luck with HMRC until February on the phone now, as they have cut back services until then

No, we got the total paid from the Personal Tax Account, so it would have been zero if the employer paid it back.

OP posts:
Flossflower · 20/12/2023 17:49

Chasingsquirrels · 20/12/2023 17:29

In the past maybe!

I wrote in Jan 2020 re DPs tax reclaim. He finally had a reply Sep 2023! They did apologise for the delay in responding.

We've had similar timescales at work (accountancy firm) as well.

Can only hope that they are catching up....

Edited
Show quote history

OK. I haven’t written since before covid but I usually address it to ‘complaints’
on the envelope and letter.

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 17:52

Flossflower · 20/12/2023 17:49

OK. I haven’t written since before covid but I usually address it to ‘complaints’
on the envelope and letter.

Show quote history

i’m guessing that this may have been a good few decades years before covid

TheFlis · 20/12/2023 17:52

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 17:29

his fee to process was probably more than the £42!

Show quote history

It was all included in her fee for doing my tax return.

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 17:56

TheFlis · 20/12/2023 17:52

It was all included in her fee for doing my tax return.

Show quote history

got it.

your accountant was female. Important to know

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 20/12/2023 18:06

Yes they do. Dh got a refund for less than a £1 one year. 😂

If you don’t do it online, which is quicker, or an employer does it for you, then you can always wait until the end of the tax year and get a letter telling you how much they owe you. You then get an option to claim the refund online into your bank account or wait 6weeksish for a cheque.

TheFlis · 20/12/2023 18:13

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 17:56

got it.

your accountant was female. Important to know

Show quote history

It’s important to correct sexist assumptions.

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 18:21

TheFlis · 20/12/2023 18:13

It’s important to correct sexist assumptions.

Show quote history

38% versus 62% female to male ratio registered with accountancy bodies

so a reasonable assumption

Original poster
flabbergaster · 20/12/2023 18:22

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 20/12/2023 18:06

Yes they do. Dh got a refund for less than a £1 one year. 😂

If you don’t do it online, which is quicker, or an employer does it for you, then you can always wait until the end of the tax year and get a letter telling you how much they owe you. You then get an option to claim the refund online into your bank account or wait 6weeksish for a cheque.

Actually we have waited. The website says he should have had a letter by November if he overpaid. But he didn't. That's why he's chasing it now.

OP posts:
BlueRabbitWasNaughty · 20/12/2023 18:24

My 17 yo is in the same situation. He's got a couple of part time jobs which don't take him high enough to be paying tax but has been taxed a couple of times now (but not every month).

He's found his tax code and it's not the usual one so I've told him to ring hmrc... I'm sure my older dc had the same problem and it was sorted after a phone call. Although reading some of the previous replies, it might not be that simple these days.

I also presumed it would be sorted at the end of the tax year when they get the total earnings information but that might be wishful thinking.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 20/12/2023 18:42

HMRC do take their time. It’s only mid December, in HMRC that’s only 14 days over. This HMRC time and it work’s differently to real world time. (Can you tell I do this every year?!) Chase it January.
he will get it @flabbergaster

Don’t forget you also have Royal Mail to consider for the letter being delayed. By their own admission letters are not a priority regardless of who they come from right now.

NannyGythaOgg · 20/12/2023 19:05

I've been refunded a £38 overpayment before. Without chasing it up.

QforCucumber · 20/12/2023 19:08

If it says he has paid the correct tax then what does it state his total earnings for the 22/23 tax year are?

margotrose · 20/12/2023 19:11

Yep. I got a grand total of £5.42 back last year Grin

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 20/12/2023 19:15

@margotrose did the bank ask where you wanted to invest it?! 🤣

BMW6 · 20/12/2023 19:19

When I worked there anything over £5 was refunded.

peekabooer20 · 20/12/2023 19:22

Yes you will get it back, I just got £12 back that I had overpaid. However you do have to request it online, in your self assessment account.

Kazzyhoward · 20/12/2023 19:23

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 18:21

38% versus 62% female to male ratio registered with accountancy bodies

so a reasonable assumption

Show quote history

Far more females than males practice as accountants without being members of the big accountancy bodies. Lots of members of the book-keeping institutes do tax returns etc. and they won't be on the statistics of the main accountancy bodies either.

velvetoptions · 20/12/2023 19:47

Kazzyhoward · 20/12/2023 19:23

Far more females than males practice as accountants without being members of the big accountancy bodies. Lots of members of the book-keeping institutes do tax returns etc. and they won't be on the statistics of the main accountancy bodies either.

Show quote history

But a reasonable assumption that when the PP says “accountant” she does mean an accountant rather than a book keeper

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