Wilso16

Just want to clarify something.

I am leaving work tomorrow an on receipt of my P45 I am going to send of my P85 form to the Inland Revenue.

I am thinking that this form does two things:

1st - Notifies the Inland Revenue that I am moving abroad

2nd - Allows me to claim any tax back for this financial year.

Am I correct on both of these points, or is there anything else I need to do to notify them and claim the tax back?

Thanks

goingozwards2007

Could i just add something onto your questions?

We were told we had to wait until new financial year to hand in form, just in case we don't like it here, go back to UK and work again, not sure if this is correct or not, so if someone could answer this as well it would be great, ta

sparkleauz

Hi there,

Yes on both accounts I think. Not sure about the third question mentioned.

nicolamilne

we have had nothing but problems with inland revenue - they keep sending us P85(s) forms to fill in but they are the wrong ones - we have phoned countless amount of times and they dont have a clue - have a meeting in my local office on Thur next week so will let you all know then what they say.

Wilso16

What do you mean by "the wrong ones"? How many types are there?

I just got mine of the internet.

nicolamilne

there is a P85 which is for UK Citizen leaving to go abroad, and there is a P85(s) which is for a migrant who is returning to their own country after working in uk - they keep telling us to fill in the P85(s) even though we are UK citizens! my partner is in with a different tax office than me, and he is being told one thing and i am being told another. Hopefully on Thursday next week after our meeting it will all become clear. Im sure it shouldnt be this complicated, i think I have just had bad luck!

mad.chef

hello all
my work is sorting the forms out for me, just have to fill them in and send them thats it ?? i think
Dave

rockpeblar

How long does it take to get a refund. Sent the completed form and my P45 back at the start of August. Phoned them in September and was told that it had been processed and was due for payment in 2 weeks - a month later and still no refund, phoned two weeks ago and was told payment was on its way but today still nothing in my bank account!!!
What have been other peoples timelines?

SunshineGirl

Been here a year, sent the forms in last June 2007, got refund in September. Pretty straightforward!

Swooty

Do you get back all the tax you paid in that tax year or just a percentage? We are planning to come over in Jan08 on a 457 so that could be 9 months tax ?

wmoore

I sent our forms off when we had a flight booked and a date for leaving. We received cheques within about a month. You don't necessarily get all of your tax back, they just recalculate your pro-rata amount based on how long into the tax year you leave.

RenShen

Hi,

I can answer some of these questions.

Form P85 is the correct form. If you return to the country you ask for a P86.

If you ask for one, they should give it to you. Whoever told you to wait till you decide if you like it abroad or not is just expressing a personal opinion and is out of order.

If you complete form P85 and send your P45 with it you should get any refund due within 28 days.

It ALWAYS pays to complain (just make sure that you do it very calmly and politely and make it clear that it is a formal complaint). Ask for a reply to the complaint within 7 days and for the name and contact details of the Officer dealing with your complaint.

For most people, your tax code will be cumulative. e.g. if you are monthly paid, your tax free allowance for the year will be divided into 12 and taken off each month's salary leaving the balance taxable. If you leave the country part way through a tax year, you are still entitled to the full year's allowance. When you send in the P85 and the P45 they will do a re-calculation of your pay and tax from 8th April to that point. If you leave 6 months before the end of the tax year, you will have 6 months of unused allowances to put against the wages you have earned during the year. That would generate a refund.

If, for some reason, you returned to the country during the same tax year the sky would not fall down. It would just mean that you would be taxed on any earnings at basic rate until 5th April, when you would be entitled to full personal allowances again.

In any telephone conversations with HMRC, please remember that it is likely that you are speaking to a person recently recruited off the street to work in their contact centre (where staff turnover is very high). Not necessarily an experienced tax practitioner. If what you are told doesn't sound right, ask to speak to a supervisor.

Hope this helps,
Ren.