My DH earns just over £50k, so part of my child benefit is reclaimed via tax (the child benefit charge).
I was under the impression that the CB charge related to the salary for the year in which you got the child benefit and was claimed back the following year following the tax return. For example, if you earnt over £50k in 2014/15, you would fill in a tax return before 31 Jan 2016 declaring this. You would then have the option to pay back the percentage of child benefit for the 2014/15 tax year or to have your tax code changed to reclaim it.
I ask because my DH has just filled in his 2015/16 tax return giving his 2015/16 salary. The tax office have written back changing his tax code to reclaim the child benefit for 2014/15 AND reclaiming the full child benefit amount for 2016/17- when they were called, they said that they had assumed (weirdly and wrongly) that he would earn over £60k this tax year.
Aren't they completely wrong though? Isn't child benefit reclaimed for the tax year past and not reclaimed in advance for the current one? I can't find any definitive answer online.