Tax Articles
Income Tax Back for Being Unemployed
Being made redundant and not being able to find a job can be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. This worry can be compounded when the inevitable money worries start to occur as Job Seekers allowance is hardly enough to live on.
At the moment in the UK there are 1.7 million people without a job. Not many of them are aware that if they do claim job seekers allowance then this is classified as part of their taxable income.
When you do not have a job, applying for tax refunds will probably be the last thing on your mind, however they could provide you with a much needed boost in your income. It is highly likely that if you have been out of work for any length of time, you are due some tax back as your annual tax allowance would not have been calculated correctly.
Even if you have now found a job, it might be worth contacting a tax refund service agent as they could claim your tax back for any time that you were out of work during the last six years.
Want answers to questions such as “Am I due a tax rebate” ? Tax Fix works on a ‘No tax back, No Fee’ basis. So what do you have to lose?
Anonymous - Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
I was laid off from my job in January. Am I due a tax refund?
admin - Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
There is a good chance that you will be able to claim a tax refund.
You should have been given a P45 when you finished working.
Take your P45 and you can then complete the online application to apply for a tax rebate at:
Ashley Holden - Monday, April 26th, 2010
I was laid off October 13 2009 but have only just been paid off. My employer has paid me redundancy of £747. I have been on jobseekers allowance since November. Will I be eligible for a tax rebate?
admin - Monday, April 26th, 2010
Hi Ashley,
Thank you for your comment.
If you were laid off then there is a good chance you will be due a tax refund.
You should have been given a P45 when you finished worked, do you still have part 1 of this?
Your P45 will show much you have earned and paid in tax. Add to your income and JSA you received between the date you lost your job and April 5th 2010. And then input the figures here:
made redundant June 2009, - Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Not recieving job seekers allowance, can i claim back tax
admin - Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
So you were made redundant in June 2009 and did not work or receive JSA between then and the end of the tax year (April 5th 2010)? If that is the case you will likely be due a large tax refund. How much did you earn between April 5th 2009 and when you lost your job? If it was below £6,475 you will be able to claim all of your tax back. You should have bene given a P45 when you finished work. Do you still have this?
sophia - Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Hi
I have been made redundant 5 months ago, and is currently on job seekers allowance, I would like to know if I am entitle to a tax rebate. I have my P45 what do I do next, please advise.
Thank you
sophia
TaxFix - Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Hi Sophia,
If you lost your job 5 months ago there is a good chance that you will get a tax refund.
All you need to do is complete the online application and send us your P45 and we can process any refund for you. You can apply at:
Anonymous - Monday, May 10th, 2010
I was made redundant Oct 09, since april 09 ive been claiming sick pay until present, ive moved since being made redundant and have lost my P45 form. Am I entitled to a tax rebate? I have a P60 form if thats any help, many thanks.
TaxFix - Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
Hi Anonymous,
If you were made redundant in October 2009, how have you been claiming sick pay if you were not working for anyone? You can use your P60 to check if you are due a tax refund by inputting the total tax paid and the total income for the year from your P60 into our tax rebate calculator:
Anonymous - Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
hi, thanks for that, sorry now ive read it bk it doesnt make sense!. was claiming sick pay apr09 til oct09,now im claiming employment support allowance. from oct 09 till present,thanks.
Dave - Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
I was made redundant on March 24th and being realistic,at 55 might find it very difficult to find a job paying £55k that I was earning. I have decided to become self employed but doubt if i will see any income from this for at least 3 month’s due to the nature of my business. Can i get any tax refund?
TaxFix - Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Hi Dave,
Normally if you stop working part way through the tax year it is possible to claim a tax refund. Every person gets a yearly tax free allowance which is allocated in our monthly wages, so if you stop work part way through the year you do not get the full allowance. However because you stopped working at almost the end of the tax year, you may not be very much of a refund if anything. You can check to see if you are by using our tax rebate calculator
Peter - Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Got laid of March 2010. Can’t get JSA or anything my employer has not given me my p45 and wont answer my calls can i still get tax back.
TaxFix - Monday, May 17th, 2010
Hi Peter,
As you stopped working towards the end of the tax year, your tax refund probably won’t be that much. You can check using our tax refund calculator. If you do not have a P45, you can write to your employer and ask for a statement of earnings, which acts as a replacement for a P45 or P60.
Simon - Monday, May 17th, 2010
Hi I was made redundant on April 23rd 2010 and my p45 shows i paid tax on my redundancy payment is this correct and would i be entitled to a rebate
Melanie - Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Hi,
Made redundant in early June 2009 and didn’t start work until end April 2010. I’m assuming I’m due a rebate from the job centre? I’m just wondering if they pay them automatically at the end of the year or do I need to chase it?
Many thanks
TaxFix - Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Hi Simon,
The first £30,000 of any redundancy payments are usually tax free. However you should check your contract, as if it specifies that you are eligible for a redundancy payment, then it is no longer tax free.
TaxFix - Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Hi Melanie,
As you lost your job in June 2009, you will have only worked part of the tax year and therefore likely be due a tax refund.
Unfortunately you do not get tax refunds automatically, you need to apply.
You should have been given a P45 when you finished working.
If you have this you can apply for your tax refund here.
TaxFix - Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Hi Gary,
As you stopped working in March 2008 and didnt start again until June 2009 you would have only straddled two tax years. Often when you only work for part of the tax year you become eligible for a tax refund. You should have been given a P45 when you lost your job, do you still have this? If so, you can claim your tax refund here.
tommy - Friday, May 21st, 2010
my employers terminated my contract due to ill health after 4 months during that time i got some company sick and ssp am i still elegible for a tax refund i am on ni contribution
TaxFix - Friday, May 21st, 2010
Tommy: It will depend on how much you earned in the tax year (April 6th until April 5th the following year). Can you work out how much you earned during that time including any sick pay and/or benefits. It should show on your P60 or P45. You can then use your tax rebate calculator to see how large your tax refund would be.
daniel - Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
Hi I have been working self employed as a builder. for 5 yrs. the guy who paid us and ran the site has done a runner with all the wages, i have no work lost all my tools and now lost my accomadation. i have found somewere to rent but i have no money can i claim mine back. please thank you
TaxFix - Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
Daniel: If you were self employed you would need to do a tax return. You can claim a number of work related expenses when you do a tax return.
kb - Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
I got made redundant in August 09 and then got a temporary job for 8 weeks paying emergancy tax. I’m now on jsa and not recieved my p60 yet. I have both p45’s am i entitled to a rebate thanks
TaxFix - Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
KB: There is a very high chance you will be due a tax rebate if you have paid emergency tax. You will not get a P60 unless you were working for an employer on the 5th April. You can still claim your tax refund with your P45’s. All you need to do is complete our online tax refund application.
Tracey - Thursday, May 27th, 2010
My husband was put on a three day week in feb 09 in sept 09 broke his ankle and was on illness benifet till jan 10 then employeer hadn’t enough work so on jobseekers since is he entitled to a tax refund
TaxFix - Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Tracey: How much did your husband earn in total between 6th April 2009 and 5th April, including any income from JSA or any other benefits? If you can calculate this (it may be on his P60 or P45) and then also find out how much tax he paid in his job. you can input these figures into our tax refund calculator.
Maria - Sunday, May 30th, 2010
Hi TaxFix. I was laid off on 5mar09 and found a job first on 4jun09. During those 3 months I didnt get any JSA. Am I entitled to a tax refund for the tax year 09-10 (I have continuously worked since then on a £100k + salary). Thanks.
TaxFix - Sunday, May 30th, 2010
Maria: Hi. You should have been given a P45 when you finished your job. Your P45 should tell you how much you earned and how much you paid in tax during the year. Type these amounts into our tax rebate calculator and it will let you know if you are due a rebate.
jac - Monday, May 31st, 2010
made redundant 2nd week in April at 63 will take private pension in October and retire as I will get no more jobseekers . Can I apply to have tax allowance set against my pension.
TaxFix - Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Jac: At the end of the tax year you should check to see if you are getting your full allowance from your private pension.
Tom - Friday, June 18th, 2010
Hi, I was on job seekers allowance between may 2009 and september 2009 where I recieved £1040, I then got a job where I earned under the threshold for taxable earnings but paid £500 tax. Am I entitled to this back or has this already been paid back via the job seekers allowance? Thanks
TaxFix - Friday, June 18th, 2010
Tom: If you earnings from both JSA and your job was less than £6475 you can claim back all of the £500. Do you have your P45/P60s. If so we can help you claim back any tax refund. Our online application is quick and straightforward.
Tom - Saturday, June 19th, 2010
I only have my P60, the P45 I recieved from JSA was misplaced unfortunately
asmaa - Saturday, June 26th, 2010
I was working full time , paying income tax , then I became ill with cancer , can I apply for tax refund
TaxFix - Saturday, June 26th, 2010
asmaa: If you finished working part way through the tax year, there is a good chance that you may be due a tax refund. When the tax year is over you can check using your P45/P60 and our tax calculator.
Anonymous - Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
lost my job in april 2008 was self employed have not claimed any benefits ami entitled to a tax rebate
TaxFix - Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
Anonymous: If you are self employed then you should be completing a self assessment tax return, and any refund due would be calculated within this. We can help with your tax return if you like.
Anon - Thursday, July 8th, 2010
I lost my job in June 2009 & then was claiming JSA till December – will i get back my TAX that i paid up until June or, is this deducted off the JSA that i claimed? Many thanks
TaxFix - Friday, July 9th, 2010
Anon: It will depend on how much you earned (including any JSA) and how much tax you paid. If you have your P45 you can make a claim for a tax refund by going here.
jay - Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
i had been terminated, can i file a tax return
sean - Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
if i was taxed on my redundacy over £30,000 will i get this back if i have not worked for a year?
karl - Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
hi,
I was made redundant in july 2008 after being there for 3 years. i then went onto jobseekers allowance for 1 month and then stopped claiming it. in feb 2009 i then started working again until november 2009 due to the work being seasonal i then started working again in february 2010 without claiming jobseekers allowance until August 2010. I am now out of work and not claiming anything can you please tell me if i am entitle to any tax back at all from any of/all of these periods. I have never had a tax refund. hope this makes sense to you.
TaxFix - Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
karl: As you have stopped working a number of times, part way through the tax year, there is a good chance that you will be due a tax refund. Do you have your P45/P60s? If not you can write to your employers and ask for a statement of earnings, which can be used as a replacement for a P60/P45. When you have your P45/P60/statement of earnings you can apply for your tax refund here.
Anonymous - Monday, August 16th, 2010
I was made redundant 14 months ago – I sent my P60U and P45 to HMR&C and received almost £7k in tax rebate – why ?
TaxFix - Monday, August 16th, 2010
Anonymous: It sounds like you overpaid tax and you were paid back your entitlement from that overpayment.
anonymous - Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Have finally got my jbs and housing benefit sorted but now have been offered an 8 week job, do i stop claiming and then reapply for these benefits in 8 weeks when the job is finished
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