Claiming Tax Back When Going Traveling

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Claiming Tax Back When Going Traveling

Are you leaving to go traveling or have you already left the UK? If so, you can claim a tax refund from the Inland Revenue. Our tax experts answer some common tax questions:

Is everyone due a tax refund when leaving the country to go traveling?
If you have worked in the UK and paid tax at any point in the last 6 years then you are eligible to claim a tax refund from the government.

How much of the tax that I paid will I be able to claim? Can I claim it all back?
It depends. If you have earned less than the tax free allowance then you can claim back all of your tax. If you have earned more than the allowance, you will be able to claim a portion back. The amount will depend on how much you have earned and how much you have paid in tax.

How can I calculate my tax rebate?
On your last day of work your employer should provide you with a P45. On the P45 you will find your income and tax totals for the year. Input these totals into our tax refund calculator and it will tell you instantly if you are due a tax refund.

What about tax rebates for previous years?
In April each year, if you are working you should be given a P60 from your employer. You can check to see if you have overpaid in these years using our tax rebate calculator. The longest you can claim in arrears is 6 years.

How soon can I claim my tax refund?
As soon as you are given your P45 from your employer you can claim your tax refund.

How long does it take to claim a tax refund?
Refunds usually take between 6-8 weeks to be issued from the Inland Revenue but can sometimes take longer if there is a backlog.

Can I claim my National Insurance back when going traveling?
A portion of the National Insurance contributions can be transferred into a private pension, subject to some rules. More information is available on our national insurance refund pages.

Need help with a
Tax Refund?

Tania - Monday, June 14th, 2010

I’m on a career break for a year and am gone travelling. Can I still claim tax refund if i don’t have P45?

TaxFix - Monday, June 14th, 2010

Tania: If you do not have a P45 you can get a replacement by asking your previous employer for a statement of earnings, which can then be used as a substitute. As part of our tax rebate service, we can get up to 2 replacement documents for you. You can apply for our tax rebate service here.

Kyra - Monday, June 28th, 2010

As with post above, I am going travelling for 12 months in September and would like to claim a tax refund for this tax year.

How would this affect my pension claims/benefits claims in the future?

Thanks

TaxFix - Monday, June 28th, 2010

Kyra: Everyone that works in the UK is given a tax free allowance (currently £6,475). This allowance is distributed evenly through the year in your pay packet. If you leave the UK part way through the year, you will not get your full allowance, and can therefore claim a refund. You can make your claim when you have your P45 which your employer should give you when you finish work.

Kyra - Monday, June 28th, 2010

TaxFix – how will getting the refund affect my pension/ability to claim benefits in the long term?

Laura - Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Hi my partner and I are going travelling to canada for a year. We are leaving next week.
My partner wants to claim his tax rebate when we return to England, is this ok or is it best to apply for it now?

TaxFix - Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Laura: If you are leaving the UK you can claim a tax rebate. Your husband’s employer should provide him with a P45, and when he has this he can make a claim by applying here. We do not suggest that you wait as the deadlines for claiming a tax rebate are being reduced and you could forget to make a claim before it is too late.

Anonymous - Friday, July 2nd, 2010

I have been travelling for 18 months and I have not claimed the tax for which I worked prior to leaving the country. I have returned to the UK and I am looking to claim this back and also to see my entitlement as I am not working. Can you help -

TaxFix - Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

Anonymous: If you have left the UK you can apply for a tax rebate. Do you have any of your P45 or P60s? It will speed up your claim if you do. You can apply for your tax rebate here.

Gem - Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Hi please can you help … I am going on a career break in November for a year and am looking to reclaim my tax back before I go as I wont have worked for a full tax year. How do I go about this? also I am returning to my job when I come back to the UK so I wont get a p45, does this matter? and I how do I go about reclaiming without one?

TaxFix - Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Gem: If you leave the UK you can claim a tax rebate. When you go on your career break you can claim your tax rebate. If you do not have a P45 you can ask your employer for a statement of earnings on company headed paper which can be used as a replacement.

michelle - Thursday, August 12th, 2010

I am also taking a career break from november for 7 month travelling…..can I ask how long the process is of reclaiming tax back?
thanks in advance

TaxFix - Friday, August 13th, 2010

michelle: Claiming tax back usually takes between 4-8 weeks if you have all the required documents such as a P45 or P60. Sometimes claims can take longer as it depends on the back logs with your tax office, and how long they take to issue the refund.

Massimo - Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Hi i took a break of service for six months to go travelling between oct 2009 and april 2010, i have now returned to my previous job, can i claim a tax rebate or is it too late
many thanks

TaxFix - Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Massimo: You can still claim a tax rebate. Do you have a P45 from when you finished working in October 2009? If so you can claim your tax rebate here. If you do not have a P45, you can write to your employer and request a statement of earnings which can be used as a replacement for a P45. We can Email you a template letter to send to your employer if you like, just write to template@taxfix.co.uk

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