Am I owed a tax refund?
Employees often pay too much tax and never claim it back. Answer a few yes or no questions and we'll estimate your refund, back to 2022/23.
Your answer
Enter your pay this tax year, then answer the questions that apply to you.
About this calculator
For employees who think they've paid too much income tax: after leaving a job, on an emergency tax code, or without claiming the reliefs they're due.
We estimate the refund for each reason, say how to claim it, and how far back you can go.
What happens to your answers
We don’t keep them. Your answers go to our server to do the sums and aren’t stored or logged. If you copy a link to your answers, they’re in the link itself, so only share it with people you trust.
How it’s worked out
Stopped working: we compare the tax taken off your pay with the real tax on that pay for the year, with your full £12,570 tax-free allowance.
Work expenses, Marriage Allowance and pension relief: we work out how much less tax you'd pay with each, at your own rates, and add earlier years at the same figures. Mileage uses 55p a mile this year and 45p before.
You can claim for this tax year and the 4 before it (the 4-year time limit), so 2022/23 must be claimed by 5 April 2027.
Worked example
You could be owed about £1,039 in tax, mostly for stopping work.
2026/27 rates · England, Wales or Northern Ireland · pay £20,000 · earlier years the same as this one
| Stopped working: tax taken off your pay so far (your P45) | £2,400 |
|---|---|
| Real tax for the year on £20,000 of pay, with your full £12,570 tax-free allowance | − £1,486 |
| Paid too much | £914 |
| Uniform: flat rate £125 a year (nurse, midwife or care staff), tax saved | £25 |
| Refund this tax year | £939 |
| Refund for earlier years (same figures each year) | £100 |
| Estimated refund in total | £1,039 |
Worked out using HMRC's published rates for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027), on a yearly basis.
Questions people ask
How far back can I claim a tax refund?
Four years after the end of the tax year. In the 2026/27 tax year you can still claim for 2022/23 onwards, and 2022/23 closes on 5 April 2027.
Do I need receipts for the uniform rate?
No. The flat rate needs no receipts, but you must clean, repair or replace the uniform yourself. Professional fees and mileage need receipts or a mileage log.
I left my job. Will HMRC refund me automatically?
If you start a new job, the refund usually comes through your new employer's payroll. If you're not working again this tax year, claim with form P50. Otherwise HMRC sends a tax calculation after the year ends.
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