Think I'm going to have to pay back additional mat pay but how do I reclaim tax? Arrgh

[PrincessScrumpy]

After a lot of thought and maths I simply cannot make te figures work. I have 13wo twins and work part time in a school (admin role). My pay (which is for 44 weeks of the year as I don't get paid for school hols) is less than the childcare will cost by some margin. Originally I thought I'd go back for the necessary 12 weeks so I could keep the additional pay but I don't think the summer hols will count towards my 12 weeks so even taking everything into account I will spend all the additional pay on the childcare and be £600 worse off.

Anyway - if I pay it back in a lump sum, do I pay it back before tax was removed and then claim the tax and national insurance back? If so, how do I do that?

Also, is there anything else I haven't thought about?

Speak to your employer. If you got paid e.g. £100 of which you were paid £80. Then pay back the £80.

What they should do is work out
pay with enhanced Mat Pay after tax: £10000
Pay without enhanced mat pay after tax: £5000

So you pay back the difference between them. Its up to them to sort the tax out which the payroll software/person will do and reclaim back from the Govt. It's not up for you to worry about.

Then at year end (April) do a self assessment which will tell you if the numbers on the P45 are right and let you claim any tax back outstanding (should be nil).