Tax Refund Calculator – Calculate your tax rebate today.
How to calculate your tax rebate…
- Select a tax year – you can only go back four tax years.
- Enter your total gross pay.
- Enter your total tax paid.
The tax refund calculator will give you an estimation of the refund you might be due if you have overpaid tax through your salary under PAYE.
If the calculator shows that you have not overpaid tax it’s important to know that you may still be due a refund for other reasons.
In most cases you need to follow a specific process to claim back what you are owed otherwise your entitlement will not be refunded.
Please read on to find out more about tax refunds, the refund process and what you can do to make sure you don’t overpay income tax.
How does the Tax Refund Calculator work?
The main figures used to calculate a tax refund are:
1. The tax free personal allowance for the tax year. This means you only pay tax on earnings over the tax free allowance.
2. Any other income under PAYE for example from a pension.
3. Depending on how much you earn you can pay tax at different rates. The tax refund calculator uses the income tax rates of 20%, 40%, and 45%.
4. Your tax code which can vary depending on different factors. If it’s wrong you can overpay or underpay tax. You can find out more about tax codes in our tax code guide.
Our tax refund estimator does not take into consideration other reasons why you may have paid too much income tax.
It will only let you know an estimate in circumstances where you have overpaid because of a reason like having an incorrect tax code or because you were made redundant.
If your P60 contains all the necessary details about your income and taxes for the tax year, it would be ideal to input those figures into the tax refund calculator.
Your P60 should be given to you by your employer or pension provider after the end of each tax year.
Find out more about tax refunds
Understanding why you could be owed a tax refund can really pay off. There’s a number of different reasons why you could be owed so it’s crucial to pinpoint those which might be relevant to your situation.
You can then make an informed decision about what applies to you and avoid missing out on any entitlements you are eligible to.
If none of the options available apply to you currently they may in the future which means at least you know what you could be entitled to and when to make a claim.
Do I qualify for a refund of tax?
To qualify for tax back you need to meet set criteria and then follow a particular process to claim any refund due.
Some of the most popular reasons to be eligible for a tax rebate are for the costs you incur because of your job. HMRC sets the rules and calls these costs employment expenses.
These employment expenses include:
- Claiming mileage for using your own car, van or motorcycle to temporary workplaces.
- Buying tools and equipment for work purposes.
- Paying into some unions or professional bodies.
- Washing your own uniform or protective clothing.
- Leaving the UK within the last four tax years.
In most cases it’s down to you to claim back the income tax you are owed by following the process set out by HMRC.
The tax man expects you to make a claim but put’s the responsibility on you as the taxpayer to start the process.
Always remember that the tax year doesn’t follow the normal calendar year and starts on the 6th April and ends on the 5th April the following year.
Calculate a tax refund due for tax allowances
HMRC makes available some tax allowances for PAYE taxpayers which are worth claiming for as far back as you can.
- Working from home (WFH) tax relief: If you have to work from home to perform your contractual duties you could be eligible for a weekly flat rate working from home allowance to cover the cost of utilities.
- Marriage tax allowance: For couples who are married or in a civial partnership and earning under a particular level.
There is a time limit to claim a tax refund
There is a time limit of four tax years for you to claim your refund. This could be good news because if you have overpaid income tax in more than one tax year you could get a larger tax rebate than you expected.
It also means you should act as quickly as possible to ensure you don’t miss out with the deadlines being very strict.
How do I claim my tax back from HMRC?
The process of claiming your tax back from HMRC is specific to the type of refund you are reclaiming.
For example if you are reclaiming tax relief for employment expenses a form P87 should be completed either through the HMRC online portal or by post.
You can find out more about how to claim your tax refund in our how to claim an income tax refund guide.
You can contact HMRC online or by phone and you can find specific HMRC department contact information here.
Tax refunds and your tax code
Understanding the role your tax code has and how it can result in you overpaying income tax is important.
All taxpayers receive a tax code from HMRC which is in turn used by employers, pension providers or other income sources to calculate how much income tax to deduct in each week or month.
A tax code can be incorrect for multiple reasons and if it is you can overpay income tax for many months (even years). Unless you highlight the issue(s) with your tax code to HMRC sometimes you will not receive a refund of the tax you have overpaid.
HMRC expects you to tell them if something has to change which means checking your tax code and learning what the letters and numbers mean is a valuable excercise.
Our tax code guide gives you an overview of what your tax code should look like and what to do if you think it needs changed.
Tax refunds automatically calculated by HMRC
There are cases where you might automatically get a tax refund from HMRC. This typically occurs if there’s been a mistake with your tax code or if you’ve switched jobs within a tax year.
HMRC’s system usually automatically reconciles tax records after each tax year end and this can trigger a tax rebate to be automatically calculated without you needing to do anything.
A P800 tax calculation letter should arrive via post from the tax office indicating the amount you’re entitled to and you should be able to view this information online via your personal tax account or the HMRC app.
What is a P800 tax refund calculation?
A P800 is a form that is posted to you by HMRC and is also referred to as a tax calculation.
The P800 provides a detailed account of your taxed income and the income tax you’ve overpaid.
Your tax calculation will provide instructions on how to obtain your refund usually via an online bank transfer through your personal tax account or the HMRC app.
If your refund isn’t claimed online typically within three weeks HMRC will then mail you a cheque.
Tax refund calculators by Tax Rebate Services
Tax Rebate Services has produced multiple tax refund calculators to help support you on your tax rebate journey and they are all completely free to use.
Our tax refund estimators cover many of the popular subjects surrounding refunds and taxpayers who overpay income tax.
Tax refund calculators by Tax Rebate Services:
- Uniform tax calculator for washing your own uniform and protective clothing.
- Mileage tax relief calculator for using your own vehicle to travel to temporary workplaces.
- UK tax back calculator if you leave the UK for the current and last four tax years.
- Tool tax refund calculator if you purchase your own tools to do your job.
- Car and vehicle mechanics tool tax rebate calculator if you buy your own tools for work purposes.
- MOD mileage tax rebate calculator if you work for the MOD and travel to temporary assignments.
- CIS tax rebate calculator if you are a self employed CIS subcontractor.
- Pension tax rebate calculator if you pay into your own private pension scheme and are a higher rate taxpayer.
After you have used our refund calculators you will be given more information on each subject to guide you through the next steps.
