If you are an employee, then at the end of every financial year (5 April) you will be issued with a P60 by your employer. You might think that a P60 seems of little use and is just another piece of paper to be filed away with all your other documents, but P60s are extremely important for determining your tax position.
Here, we explain what P60s are and why you need one.
What is a P60?
Your P60 will show the tax you have paid on your salary during the tax year, which runs 6 April to 5 April. You will receive a P60 for each job you have had during the year, so if you were employed by two different businesses, then you will receive two separate P60s – one from each employer.
An employer must give you a P60 either on paper or electronically.
Why do I need a P60?
If you are planning to claim back overpaid tax, you want to apply for tax credits or you need proof of income, such as when taking out a loan or mortgage, then you will need your P60 for this.
What happens if my employer hasn’t given me a P60?
If for any reason you cannot get a P60 from your employer, for example if they are no longer operating, then you can either use your personal tax account to view or print out the information that would be on your P60 or you can contact HMRC to ask for more information.
How do I issue a P60 if I am an employer?
It is essential that you give all your employees a P60 at the end of each tax year. You can use your payroll software to do this. Alternatively, a professional bookkeeper and payroll expert, like AMR Bookkeeping Solutions, will be able to handle this for you. You can find out more about our payroll services here or read our blog The headache of payroll – and how we can help, which provides more insight into how we can manage the process on your behalf.
If your software cannot create P60s, then HMRC also offers basic tools for producing P60s.
A small number of employers are exempt from filing payroll online, such as if you are employing someone to provide care or support services at or from your home. You can find out more about the criteria for this and who is exempt from filing online on HMRC’s website here.
For further information or advice about P60s or the payroll process, please get in touch with our friendly team on 01892 559480 or use our online enquiry form.
