How to Claim a Tax Refund in the UK

You can claim a UK tax refund if you have overpaid Income Tax through PAYE, Self Assessment, or because of an incorrect tax code. Most refunds are processed automatically by HMRC after the tax year ends, but you can also claim mid-year through your Personal Tax Account or by calling HMRC.

Common Reasons for Overpaying Tax

Reason	How It Happens	How to Claim
Wrong tax code	Emergency code, incorrect BR or D0 code, or outdated allowance	Contact HMRC to correct code; refund via payroll
Stopped working mid-year	Unused Personal Allowance for the rest of the tax year	P50 form (if not claiming benefits) or wait for P800
Too much pension tax relief	Higher-rate taxpayer claiming basic rate only at source	Self Assessment return or P87 form
One-off leaving job	Employer used wrong tax basis on final payslip	HMRC reconciles via P800 after April 5
Work expenses not claimed	Uniform, tools, professional fees paid personally	P87 form (under £2,500) or Self Assessment

How to Claim Step by Step

Via HMRC Personal Tax Account (fastest):

1. Go to gov.uk/personal-tax-account and sign in with your Government Gateway
2. Check “Tax year overview” to see if HMRC has already calculated a repayment
3. If a P800 is shown, you can claim the refund online — it reaches your bank in 5 working days

Via phone: Call HMRC on 0300 200 3300 (8am–6pm, Monday–Friday). Have your National Insurance number and P60 ready. Refunds by cheque take up to 5 weeks.

Via Self Assessment: If you file a tax return, any overpayment is calculated automatically and can be refunded to your bank or carried forward to next year.

How Long Does a Tax Refund Take?

HMRC aims to process most refunds within 5 working days when claimed online via Personal Tax Account. Paper refund requests (P87 forms) take 6–12 weeks. HMRC automatically sends P800 letters after the end of each tax year for PAYE taxpayers — usually between June and November for the preceding April–April period.