P60 explained — what it is, what to check, and how to use it

Every April, your employer must give you a P60 — a summary of everything you earned and paid in tax during the tax year just ended. Most people file it away without reading it. That's a mistake.

What is a P60?

A P60 is a certificate showing your total pay and deductions for the tax year (6 April to 5 April). Your employer must give you one by 31 May each year. It covers: total gross pay, total Income Tax deducted, total National Insurance deducted, and your final tax code for the year.

What to check on your P60

The most important thing to check is whether your total tax paid matches what you should have paid. If you were on the wrong tax code for part of the year, your P60 will show the total overpayment — and you can claim it back.

Check these four things:

1. Your National Insurance number — if it's wrong, your contributions may not be credited to your state pension record.
2. Your total gross pay — does it match what you expected to earn across the year?
3. Your total tax deducted — use our take-home calculator to estimate what you should have paid. If the P60 figure is significantly higher, you may be owed a refund.
4. Your final tax code — if it ends in W1 or M1, you were on an emergency basis for part of the year and may have overpaid.

How to claim a tax refund using your P60

If you believe you overpaid tax, you can claim a refund for up to 4 previous tax years. The easiest way is through your HMRC Personal Tax Account at gov.uk/personal-tax-account. You'll need your P60 figures to hand.

Alternatively, a tax refund service will check your P60s for free and only charge if they find a refund. They typically charge 25–30% of any refund found.

What's the difference between a P60 and a P45?

A P45 is issued when you leave a job — it shows your pay and tax up to the date you left. A P60 is issued at the end of the tax year and covers the full year. You only get a P60 from your current employer; previous employers issue P45s when you leave.

Use our payslip checker to verify your monthly deductions are correct throughout the year — so your P60 doesn't reveal a nasty surprise in April.