Tax rebate - do I need to do anything?

[AnnieLobeseder]

I went back to work in September from SAHMing, which means I worked 6 months out of the tax year. I've been told that will probably mean I'll be entitled to a tax rebate.

Will the rebate come through automatically, or do I need to do anything? HMRC don't seem to have a form for this, though there are plenty of dodgy websites telling you that if you sign their form (for a small percentage of the rebate), they'll claim it back for you. I'm not fooled for a minute!

Very wise to ignore those sites - you won't see a penny. You should to write to HMRC (your tax office) with your P60 for the year you worked and ask for the rebate. I have done this for my daughter who got taxed becuase the employer did not submit the correct student form and she got her rebate.

At the end of the tax year it should be automatically adjusted and showed in your pay/payslip. If you can wait that long if not write to HMRC.

Well, the end of the tax year has just happened, hasn't it? Would I have to wait until next year? TBH the money would be very handy right about now.

So I can just write my own letter, I don't need an official form?

if you have a tax code that isn't M1 or W1 on your Mar 10 payslip then you will have already received the full tax allowance for the year and won't be entitled to a rebate.
PAYE works on a cumulative basis, so you get 1/12 of the allowance in Apr, 2/12 in May etc. This is offset against your cumulative pay at that point, total tax is calculated and then tax paid to date is deducted to arrive at the PAYE taken that month.
So by Mar 10 you would have received 12/12th (is all) of your allowance for the year.

If it was the other way round and you worked for the first 6 months and then didn't for the last 6 months then you would expect a refund.

Can't find March's payslip without some serious digging, but I did get a letter from HMRC telling me I had a new tax code in April. Would this be good news or bad news?

neither - everyone gets a new tax code in April.

You need to find either your Mar 10 payslip or you 09/10 P60. They have the info to check whether you have paid the correct tax, and you would need one of them (preferably P60) to make a reclaim anyway.

OK, thanks for all the advice. I'll have to dig through my overflowing 'to file' heap and find my P60. I know it's in there somewhere!

Just note, you should also claim for a refund if your tax code is BR or (and I do think it's unlikely) D0.