How do I get a refund after being put on an emergency tax code?
An emergency tax code is a temporary code used when HMRC does not yet have full details of your income, often when you start a new job or take money from a pension. It can cause you to pay too much tax for a time. Once your correct code is applied, any overpayment is usually refunded.
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Check what you're owed →Emergency tax codes are a stopgap. When you begin a new job, take income from a pension, or start receiving employment income without a recent P45, your employer or pension provider may not have enough information to use your proper tax code, so an emergency code is applied. This can tax your income without giving you all your allowances straight away.
The good news is that emergency codes are usually temporary. Once HMRC receives the right information — often through your employer’s payroll reporting or by you supplying details — your correct code is issued and the system can put right any tax you overpaid in the meantime, frequently within the same tax year through your pay.
If the correction does not happen automatically, or you have left a job, you may need to prompt it by contacting HMRC or providing the missing details, such as a P45. Checking your payslips for an emergency code and acting on it helps you avoid leaving money tied up. If an overpayment is not refunded through your pay, you can reclaim it from HMRC.
How to get an emergency tax code refund
- Check your tax code. Look at your payslip to see whether an emergency or temporary tax code is being used.
- Provide missing information. Give your employer or HMRC the details they need, such as a P45 from a previous job.
- Wait for the correction. Once your proper code is applied, check whether any overpaid tax is refunded through your pay.
- Reclaim from HMRC if needed. If the overpayment is not corrected, contact HMRC to claim back the tax you overpaid.
Frequently asked questions
- When am I put on an emergency tax code?
- Typically when HMRC lacks full details of your income, such as starting a new job without a recent P45 or first taking money from a pension.
- Will the overpayment correct itself?
- Often yes. Once your correct code is in place, any tax overpaid is usually adjusted automatically, frequently through your pay in the same year.
- What if it does not correct automatically?
- You may need to contact HMRC or provide missing details like a P45. If it is still not refunded, you can reclaim it directly.
- How do I spot an emergency code?
- Check your payslip for a tax code that suggests an emergency or temporary basis, and compare the tax taken with what you expect.
MoneyFinder is an independent sign-posting service that helps you find financial support you may be entitled to. We are not a government body and do not provide financial advice. Figures are taken from the official sources cited above and were correct when last checked — always confirm current details on the linked GOV.UK pages.