Tax Refund Calculator UK 2025
Check if HMRC owes you money back from overpaid PAYE tax, emergency tax codes, marriage allowance, or employment expenses. Calculate your potential refund for the 2025/26 tax year instantly.
Check for Overpaid PAYE Tax
Compare your actual tax paid against what you should have paid to see if you're owed a refund.
Marriage Allowance Calculator
Transfer £1,260 of your Personal Allowance to your spouse or civil partner. Save up to £252/year plus backdate for 4 years.
Eligibility Check
You can claim if: (1) You're married or in a civil partnership, (2) One partner earns under £12,570/year, (3) Other partner earns £12,571-£50,270/year (basic rate taxpayer only).
Employment Expenses Tax Relief Calculator
Claim tax relief on work expenses your employer doesn't reimburse. Get 20-45% back depending on your tax rate.
Emergency Tax Code Refund Calculator
If you've been put on emergency tax code BR, 0T, or W1/M1 when starting a new job, you may have massively overpaid tax.
⚠️ Emergency Tax Codes Cost You £100s!
BR and 0T codes tax ALL your income at 20%+ with NO Personal Allowance (£12,570). You could be overpaying £200-£400 per month!
💷 Common Reasons You're Owed A Tax Refund
HMRC collects over £30 billion in overpaid tax annually. Here are the most common reasons you might be owed money back:
🆘 Emergency Tax Code
Started a new job without P45? You may be on BR, 0T, or W1/M1 code, paying 20% on ALL income.
👥 Multiple Jobs
Having 2+ jobs often means incorrect tax codes. Personal allowance may be split incorrectly.
📅 Left Job Mid-Year
Tax was calculated assuming full-year income, but you only worked part of the year.
💑 Marriage Allowance
Eligible couples often don't claim. Transfer £1,260 and save £252/year.
👔 Employment Expenses
Uniforms, tools, professional fees, and home working costs can all be claimed.
💼 Wrong Tax Code
HMRC may have incorrect information, resulting in the wrong code all year.
📝 How to Claim Your Tax Refund from HMRC
1. Check Your Personal Tax Account
Log in at gov.uk/personal-tax-account. See if HMRC shows you're owed a refund under "Tax overview".
2. Check Your P60 and Payslips
Compare tax paid on your P60 (annual summary) against what you calculate you should pay. Note any discrepancies.
3. Claim Online (Fastest)
Through Personal Tax Account - refund typically paid within 5 working days directly to your bank account.
4. Or Use Form P50/P53
If you've stopped working: Form P50. Students: Form P53. Post with your P45. Takes 8-12 weeks.
5. Wait for P800 (Automatic)
HMRC sends P800 calculations after tax year end (July-September) if you've over/underpaid. Claim within 45 days.
📞 HMRC Tax Helpline
Phone: 0300 200 3300
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-6pm
Online: gov.uk/personal-tax-account (available 24/7)
Frequently Asked Questions
You can claim a tax refund from HMRC online through your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk/personal-tax-account (fastest method - refund in 5 working days), by phone on 0300 200 3300, or using forms P50 (if stopped working) or P55 (pension refund). For overpaid PAYE, HMRC may send you a P800 tax calculation automatically after the tax year ends. You can backdate claims for up to 4 previous tax years. The online method is quickest - most refunds are processed within 5 working days and paid directly to your bank account.
BR (Basic Rate) taxes ALL income at 20% with no Personal Allowance - you lose £12,570 tax-free income. 0T taxes income at standard rates (20%/40%/45%) also with no Personal Allowance. W1/M1 (Week 1/Month 1) is a non-cumulative code that doesn't carry forward unused allowance from previous months, meaning you may not get your full annual allowance. These emergency codes often cause significant overpayment (£500-£3,000/year) when starting new jobs without providing a P45. Check your payslip for these codes and contact HMRC on 0300 200 3300 to correct them immediately - don't wait months hoping they'll auto-fix!
Marriage Allowance lets you transfer £1,260 (10%) of your Personal Allowance to your spouse or civil partner if your income is under £12,570 (you're not using your full allowance) and they're a basic rate taxpayer (earning £12,571-£50,270). This reduces their tax bill by up to £252 per year (£1,260 × 20%). The crucial point: you can backdate claims for 4 previous tax years, meaning a potential lump sum refund of up to £1,260 (£252 × 5 years including current year). Apply online at gov.uk/apply-marriage-allowance - it takes about 10 minutes. Once claimed, it's automatically renewed each year.
You can claim tax relief on work expenses your employer doesn't reimburse, including: uniform washing and maintenance (£60/year flat rate for many professions - no receipts needed), professional subscriptions (GMC £120, NMC £120, teaching unions £100+), tools and equipment for tradespeople, and business mileage at 45p/mile for the first 10,000 miles (25p thereafter). Working from home tax relief is £6/week flat rate or your actual additional costs. HMRC has pre-set flat rate deductions for over 400 professions, making claims simple. Claim at gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees. Remember: claims can be backdated 4 years, so you could be owed several hundred pounds!