Backpackers UK Tax Refund

Whether you are a British national travelling abroad or an international visitor to the UK you could be entitled to a UK tax refund.

Backpackers visiting and working in the UK

These tax relief regulations apply to you if you are currently a backpacker working in the UK either part time or full time. You have four years to make a claim to the UK tax office, so if you’re back home reading this get your skates on, you are still entitled to make a claim.

Reasons that qualify you for a backpackers tax refund:

• Your PAYE code is wrong. This is one of the tax systems in place in Britain and it means that your income tax is deducted before you receive your wages. If your employer has used the wrong code then there is a strong chance that you have paid too much tax.
• You left the UK within the last four years. The UK tax year runs from 6th April until the following 5th April.
• You have had more than one job during the same UK tax year.
• You have not yet claimed back tax relief on allowable job expenses.
• You worked as a self employed CIS sub contractor.

Backpackers UK tax tips

It’s a good idea to keep your P45 if you are given one by your employer when you stop working for them, or ask them for a ‘statement of earnings’.

It is reassuring to know that making a tax relief claim has no bearing on your status or right to work again in the UK in the future if you want to return.

British backpackers travelling and working abroad

There is usually an overpayment of tax situation for Britons who are away from home for an extended period of time during a UK tax year. If you have earned any money in the UK and have just returned or are planning to leave, then you are probably entitled to a tax refund.

How much is a UK Backpackers tax refund worth?

The Tax Office work the amount out by applying a combination of factors such as your earnings, how much tax you have paid and what month you left the UK. Each case is considered individually, there is no standard tax rebate amount and it can also be backdated for four years.

Our UK tax refund calculator is free to use and can help work out how much your UK tax refund may be worth.

How do I claim a backpackers tax refund?

A claim for the tax year in which you leave and stop work in the UK should be submitted on a P85 leaving the UK form. The P85 can be submitted online or by post directly to the tax office (HMRC).

Your tax refund will be calculated after the P85 has been processed by HMRC and then your refund repaid to a UK bank account of your choice or by cheque.