How to claim a tax refund from HMRC.
HMRC holds hundreds of millions in unclaimed tax refunds every year. Here is the exact, step-by-step process for every method β with no jargon.
Claim window
Up to 4 years back
Average refund
Β£350 β Β£900
Processing time
5 weeks online
Deadline
31 Jan each year (SA)
4 ways to claim
Choose the method that works for you.
Via HMRC Personal Tax Account (online)
- Go to gov.uk/personal-tax-account and sign in with your Government Gateway ID (or create one).
- Select 'Check your Income Tax' from the main menu.
- Click 'Check if you paid the right amount of tax' for the relevant tax year.
- HMRC will show you a calculation. If you've overpaid, click 'Claim a refund'.
- Choose how to receive the refund β direct to your bank account (fastest) or cheque.
- HMRC will process within 5 weeks (usually faster).
By phone (HMRC Income Tax helpline)
- Call HMRC on 0300 200 3300 (MondayβFriday, 8amβ6pm).
- Have your National Insurance number ready.
- Ask the agent to check if you've overpaid tax for the year(s) in question.
- If there's an overpayment, request a refund by cheque or bank transfer.
- Allow 10 working days for confirmation letter and up to 5 weeks for payment.
Via Self Assessment tax return
- Register for Self Assessment at gov.uk if not already registered.
- File your tax return for the relevant year by the deadline (online: 31 January).
- Any overpaid tax will appear as a repayment on your calculation.
- HMRC will repay the amount to your bank account (if registered) or send a cheque.
Through a tax refund specialist service
- Apply online with a service like RIFT, TaxBack, or HMRC Refund (they handle everything).
- Provide your employment details, payslips, and P60s.
- The service checks up to 4 years of employment history for free.
- If a refund is found, they submit the claim to HMRC on your behalf.
- You receive the refund minus the service's commission (typically 28β35% + VAT).
Don't want to deal with HMRC yourself?
RIFT Tax Refunds do everything for you β free to check, they only charge if you get money back. They've recovered over Β£130 million for UK workers.
Partner link β we may earn a referral fee. No charge to you unless a refund is found.
Important deadlines.
You can claim overpaid tax from HMRC going back 4 tax years. After that, the claim is time-barred and HMRC will not process it. For example, in the 2026/27 tax year, you can claim back to 2022/23.
β οΈ Self Assessment deadline: If you need to file a Self Assessment return to claim (e.g. for higher-rate pension relief or employment expenses), the online filing deadline is 31 January following the end of the tax year.