The deadline to claim a tax rebate back from the 2019/2020 tax year is fast approaching on the 5 April 2024.
HMRC guidelines state that a tax refund cannot normally be requested beyond four tax years following the conclusion of the relevant tax year.
It’s important to remember that HMRC works in tax years (from 6 April to the following 5 April) and not calendar years.
To illustrate if you are claiming a refund for the tax year 2019/20, which concluded on 5th April 2020, your claim must be made before 5th April 2024.
The deadline of “by 5th April,” means that HMRC should receive your claim form no later than this date.
This 2019/2020 tax rebate guide is specifically for PAYE taxpayers who won’t receive what they are owed unless they make a claim to HMRC before the deadline.
Why could I be due a 2019/2020 tax rebate?
The eligibility for a tax refund depends on the nature of your income during the relevant tax year and your overall situation.
Some of the most common reasons to overpay income tax through PAYE include:
- Expenses related to your employment like uniform washing, professional subscriptions, hand tools and Union fees.
- PPI interest received because of a PPI refund claim.
- You left the UK during the 2019/2020 tax year and worked part of that tax year before leaving.
- Tax allowances like the married persons allowance and working from home (WFH) allowance.
To find out if you qualify for a tax refund and to understand the procedure for making a claim you can refer to our tax rebate guides and FAQ’s that cover a wide range of tax subjects.
How do I claim a tax rebate for the 2019/2020 tax year?
Many claims can be submitted online and it’s advisable to save a copy of the submitted form and/or keep a record of any receipt provided by HMRC’s system.
If you are sending a paper claim form by post, ensure that you send it early enough to allow sufficient time for it to reach HMRC by 5th April.
You may want to request proof of postage from the Post Office and retain it in case HMRC claims not to have received your form on time.
Some of the common tax rebate claim forms include:
- P87 for tax relief on employment expenses. The P87 can be submitted online or posted to HMRC via the address on the form.
- R40 for claiming PPI interest tax relief. The R40 is available online or can be sent in by post.
- P85 if you have left the UK. The P85 is best submitted online to make sure it makes the 5/04/2024 deadline.
Following the submission of your claim HMRC will provide you with a P800 tax calculation letter detailing any overpayment of tax due to you after they have processed your claim. The P800 should also state how HMRC are paying you back any overpaid tax.
Timescales to complete PAYE tax rebate claims do vary depending on the nature of your claim and how busy HMRC are at the time they receive it.
You can usually check your claims status by using the HMRC app or your own personal tax account.
