P60 Explained — What It Is,
How to Read It & Claim a Refund
Over 5.6 million UK workers overpaid tax last year. Your P60 holds the answer to whether HMRC owes you money. Here's everything you need to know.
What is a P60?
A P60 is an official HMRC document that summarises your total pay and tax deductions for the entire tax year (6 April to 5 April). Your employer is legally required to give you a P60 by 31 May every year — whether on paper or digitally through payroll software.
It is not a tax return. It does not mean you owe HMRC anything. It is simply a record — but a very important one. It's the document that tells you whether the right amount of tax was collected from your pay throughout the year, and it's widely accepted as proof of your employment income.
How to read your P60 — box by box
P60 formats vary slightly between employers and payroll systems, but every P60 contains the same core information. Here's what each section means:
Total for year (Pay)
Your total gross earnings from this employer in the tax year — before any tax or NI was deducted.
💡 If you have multiple employers, each issues a separate P60. Add them together for your total annual income.
Total for year (Tax deducted)
The total income tax deducted from your pay across the full tax year via PAYE.
💡 This is the figure to enter into our tax rebate calculator below.
Final tax code
The PAYE tax code applied to your pay at the end of the tax year — usually 1257L for standard taxpayers.
💡 If this shows BR, 0T, or ends in W1/M1, you may have been on the wrong code and overpaid tax.
National Insurance contributions
The total employee NI (Class 1 primary) deducted from your earnings during the year.
💡 NI paid during the year builds your record toward the State Pension. You need 35 qualifying years for the full State Pension.
National Insurance number
Your unique NI number (format: two letters, six digits, one letter — e.g. AB123456C).
💡 Check this matches your records. If you don't have an NI number yet, see our guide for new UK workers.
Statutory payments (SMP/SPP/SSP)
Any statutory maternity, paternity or sick pay paid to you in the year — this is included in total pay.
💡 Statutory payments are taxable income and are included in your gross pay figure.
Free calculator
Check your P60 for a refund
Enter your figures from your P60 below. We'll compare what you paid against what you should have paid and tell you instantly if HMRC owes you money.
Find this on your P60 (Box 'Total for year') or final payslip of the tax year.
Box 'Tax deducted' on your P60.
Standard code is usually 1257L.
Estimated Tax Verdict
You may have overpaid by £515.80
Based on the figures provided, it looks like you paid more tax than necessary. You might be due a tax rebate from HMRC.
Why you might have overpaid tax
The PAYE system assumes your income stays the same every month. When it doesn't, the system can apply more tax than you actually owe. The most common reasons for overpaying:
Emergency tax code at a new job+
If you started a new job without providing a P45, HMRC may have applied an emergency code (BR or 0T) that taxes all earnings with no personal allowance. This is the single biggest cause of overpayments.
Only worked part of the tax year+
If you were unemployed, on maternity leave, or started working partway through the year, you may not have used your full £12,570 personal allowance — meaning you paid tax on income that should have been tax-free.
Multiple jobs with a wrong code on one of them+
Your main job should have your full personal allowance (1257L). A second job should be on BR. If your allowance was split incorrectly across both jobs, you may have overpaid on one of them.
A bonus that pushed you into a higher band temporarily+
A large one-off bonus payment can temporarily bump your apparent monthly income into the 40% band. PAYE should self-correct over subsequent months, but if the bonus came in March, there may not be enough months left in the year.
Pension contributions not applied correctly+
If you contribute to a workplace pension via salary sacrifice or a net-pay arrangement, your taxable income should be reduced. If your payroll didn't apply this correctly, you could have paid too much tax.
How to claim a tax refund using your P60
If our calculator suggests you've overpaid, here are your options:
Wait for a P800 from HMRC (automatic)
HMRC reviews most PAYE records after the tax year ends and sends a P800 letter between June and October if they believe you overpaid. The letter explains how to claim online (usually by bank transfer) or by cheque.
Claim online via your Personal Tax Account
Log in at gov.uk/personal-tax-account. If a refund is showing, you can claim it directly to your bank account — often paid within 5 working days. This is faster than waiting for a P800.
Call HMRC Income Tax helpline
Call 0300 200 3300 (Monday–Friday 8am–6pm) with your P60 to hand. HMRC can process a refund over the phone or confirm if one is due. Have your National Insurance number ready.
Submit a Self Assessment return (if required)
If you earn over £100,000, have untaxed income, or have been asked to file, your refund will be calculated as part of your annual return. You have until 31 January to file online.
⏱ 4-year time limit
You can only claim overpaid tax from the previous 4 tax years. In July 2026, this means you can claim for 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26. After that, the claim is time-barred.
P60 vs P45 — what's the difference?
📄 P60
- ✓Issued to you every year by 31 May
- ✓Covers the full tax year (6 Apr – 5 Apr)
- ✓Only from employers you still work for on 5 April
- ✓Used for mortgage, tax credits, refund claims
- ✓Does NOT replace a P45 when you leave
📋 P45
- ✓Issued when you leave a job
- ✓Covers 6 April to your leaving date only
- ✓You give Part 2 & 3 to your new employer
- ✓Used to get the right tax code at a new job
- ✓Prevents being put on emergency tax
Been on the wrong tax code?
If your P60 shows a BR, 0T, or emergency code, you may be owed a refund going back 4 years. The average claim is over £1,600.