Each year thousands of people fail to claim tax rebates because they are not given a P45/P60 from their employer or they lose their tax documents. Many people just give up on the prospect of claiming a refund and as a result millions of pounds go unclaimed in tax refunds each year. Here our tax experts answer some common questions on how to claim a tax refund without a P45 /P60:

What is a P45?
A P45 is given to you by your employer when you finish working for them. This document gives you a breakdown of the tax and income you have earned during the tax year. If you have another job lined up, you should give your P45 to your new employer. They can put you on the correct tax code and avoid you being put on an emergency tax code and potentially paying too much tax.

What is a P60?
At the end of each tax year (April 5th) you should be given a P60 from your employer. Your P60 shows how much you have earned in the tax year and how much you have paid in tax.

I left on bad terms with my employer and was not give me a P45. What should I do?
Your employer is required to provide a P45 when you leave their employment. Often if you leave a job unexpectedly your employer will forward your P45 to your last known mailing address.

I have tried asking for a replacement P45 but my employer will not give me one?
Your employer might not be able to give you a replacement P45, however they are required by law to provide a ’statement of earnings’ for the last 6 years. A statement of earnings is sufficient replacement for a P45 or P60 and can be used to claim your tax refund from the Inland Revenue.

How do I get a statement of earnings?
Write a letter to the payroll department (we can provide a template, just Email Us). Ask for a statement of earnings for each of the last 6 tax years that you were working for the company in question. We recommend using recorded delivery, so that you have proof that they received the letter.

What if they refuse?
If they refuse, they are breaking the law. They can charge a small fee, and they can ask for proof of your identity but refusing is contravening the data protection act. If the payroll department refuses to give you the statement of earnings, ask to speak to their line manager or data protection act officer.

How do I know if I am due a tax refund?
There should be a tax figure and an income figure on your statement of earnings. This shows how much tax and how much income you have earned for the year. Input these numbers into our tax rebate calculator and it will tell you instantly if you are due a tax refund.

What if I am missing a P60?
A statement of earnings if a replacement for both a P45 and P60.

What if I do not want to or am unable to get my statement of earnings?
We can help you claim a tax refund from the Inland Revenue even if you do not have all of your P45 or P60s. We can obtain a maximum of two statement of earnings from previous employers.