Australia UK Tax Refund Guide

If you have left the UK and are now living in Australia you could be owed a UK tax refund.

Thousands of Australians come to experience life in the UK and just as many Brits fly over to start a new life down under. Many don’t claim back the tax they’re entitled to and miss out on hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds.

Who can apply for a UK tax refund?

Anyone who has worked and paid tax in the UK is eligible to reclaim a UK tax refund. If you’ve left within the last 4 tax years, your claim is still valid. But you will not automatically get this money, you have to actually make a claim. Reclaiming UK tax will not affect your right to return to the UK to work.

Why would I be due UK tax back?

Well, there are a number of reasons why you can claim, including;

• Not using all of your tax free allowance in the year you leave the UK.
• If you still pay tax on income arising in the UK like a private pension or rental property.
• Not claiming other tax allowances for job expenses to which you are entitled. For example; laundering work uniform, using your own car for work purposes, buying tools for work and paying professional fees.

What’s my UK tax rebate worth?

There is no upper limit on the tax back you can claim when leaving the UK. There are a number of factors that affect the exact amount you get back, like how much tax you paid while you were working in the UK and if you had any other sources of income.

Neither the UK’s HMRC, nor the Australian Taxation Office, consider your UK tax rebate to be taxable income; so you receive the full amount.

What do I need to make a claim?

Everyone’s different, but normally we need 2 documents to be able to make a leaving UK claim:

• P85, which confirms when you left the UK and contains information about your UK employment and what you will be doing after you have left the UK.
• P45, which is given to you by your employer when you leave your job. If you don’t have one, it doesn’t stop you making a claim.

You might need to complete a Self Assessment tax return in some cases. We can take care of this for you as part of our service.

How do I claim UK tax back from Australia?

The easiest way to make a UK tax rebate claim from Australia is online by completing a P85 or self assessment tax return. You can also print off and post your P85 directly to HMRC.

HMRC will process your P85 and issue and tax refund to a nominated UK bank account or post you a cheque if you would prefer.