lj2

Just wondering - When you leave the UK, you cease to be a resident of the UK for tax purposes - filing P85 - right? No planned return to the UK.

Now, I will have paid tax all year to date (April - July) at 40%ish when actually my wages over the whole 12 months of the 12/13 tax year (there will be 0 UK income from August - March) will actually fall below the 40% tax threshold. Therefore, over the whole year - I have overpaid my tax - right?

If the above is correct, how do I go about getting my tax back?

If the above is incorrect, why so? Are my allowances pro-rated over the year so that I only get 4/12 of the allowances leaving me in the same tax bands?

Appreciate any responses. Thanks guys...

theOAP

From the DirectGov site:

"HMRC will use the information on the form (P85) to send you any tax refund you're owed and work out if you'll become non-resident."

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...heUK/DG_078445

rpjs

Correct - i was in the same situation, moving in Jan 2011, 3/4 of the way through the UK tax year.

File your P-85. HMRC works out how much you've overpaid and sends you a nice fat cheque. Make sure you keep a UK bank account as the HMRC cheque can only be paid into a UK account.

Correct - the allowances and bands are pro-rated on the assumption that you'll be a (higher-rate) UK tax payer for the entire UK tax year.

lj2

Thanks guys! that is very useful. Not as useful as a cheque from HMRC may prove to be, but useful nonetheless!!

SheffieldGuy

I left the UK in November 2011 and sent my P85 in December. I got my refund in January 2012 - HMRC were unusually quick

Might no be the case right now as they will be busy with the end of the fiscal year

ChocolateBabz

We left in May 2008 and got a cheque for overpaid tax last week. We filed our P85 when we left and then forgot all about it, so it was a nice surprise in the post!