Could you get some tax back?

Three common routes are explained below. A payslip code, the end of a season or CIS deductions do not by themselves establish a refund entitlement. HMRC checks final liabilities, tax already paid and your circumstances.

Foreign workers leaving the UK need to tell HMRC. Usually, if you are not filing Self Assessment for that year, the P85 route applies. Open the official guidance and check whether it fits your situation.

Online claims are available after you have left. Before departure, the official route is to print and post the form. You do not have to wait for the end of the tax year just to submit P85.

Keep a copy of your submission and reference number. Departure does not automatically make you non-resident or establish a refund: tax residence is a separate check.

1. Get your employment documents

   Ask for a P45 and final payslip. Check your name, NI number, dates, total pay and Income Tax. First ask your employer to correct any error in the pay record.

2. Check the official route

   Use GOV.UK rather than an advertising form that looks like HMRC. If you have no P45, explain why on the postal form; this does not depend on whether an eVisa is active.

3. Give accurate plans and contact details

   The form asks about your home, work, future UK visits and other circumstances. If you intend to return next season, say so. Keep your address updated and retain confirmations.

Open your Personal Tax Account or the official Income Tax checking service. Compare employers, estimated income, tax code and deductions with your documents.

BR, 0T, W1 or M1 do not automatically entitle you to a refund. BR taxes all pay from that job at the basic rate; 0T uses no Personal Allowance. W1/M1/X/NONCUM mean a separate-period calculation without the annual cumulative total.

If information is wrong, tell your employer and HMRC which line needs correction. A code correction may be reconciled through pay; in other cases HMRC calculates the position after the tax year. Do not rely on a possible refund to cover essential spending.

Personal Allowance is the part of annual income exempt from Income Tax. The standard amount for 2026/27 is £12,570; it reduces when adjusted net income exceeds £100,000. It is not a government payment.

For a non-resident, entitlement can depend on nationality and the applicable double-taxation agreement. A short seasonal visa does not by itself establish either entitlement or ineligibility.

The calculator does not determine residence, treaty relief, split-year treatment or another country’s tax. If unsure, select “I do not know” and check the official links first. Do not treat income from only the elapsed part of a year as final annual income.

Assume annual employment income of £13,000, Income Tax deductions of £1,200, and no other income or adjustments. With confirmed full allowance entitlement, estimated tax is (£13,000 − £12,570) × 20% = £86; the difference is £1,114 in the worker’s favour.

Without allowance entitlement, the same inputs give estimated tax of £2,600 and a possible £1,400 shortfall. These are two teaching scenarios, not a statement about the rights of a particular nationality. NI is excluded.

Timing depends on the route and stage of the claim. Use HMRC’s reply-date service with your application type and submission date. There is no single promised time for P85, Self Assessment and an already-calculated P800.

Where P800 permits an online refund, HMRC says payment is sent within 5 working days of the online request; a requested cheque can take 6 weeks. If the letter says a cheque will be sent automatically, the stated time is 14 days from the letter date. These apply to that P800 payment stage, not processing every application.

For a repayment after departure, GOV.UK describes a cheque or payable order sent to a UK address for you or your nominee. Ask the bank in advance whether it accepts that document; a GBP account alone does not guarantee this. Keep access to the address and a suitable account until payment arrives.

If the official expected reply date has passed, contact HMRC with the reference and submission date. Do not repeat the same application merely because you are waiting; establish its status first.

Applying directly to HMRC involves no intermediary fee. Paid assistance can be an option for language, paperwork or complex circumstances. Charging for a service does not itself make someone a fraudster.

Before agreeing, ask for the contract: percentage and fixed charges, VAT, minimum fee, who receives the money and what authority you grant. Do not share your HMRC password or sign blank documents.

Illustration: a confirmed £1,000 refund with a total agreed 30% fee means £300 for the service and £700 left. This is an example, not a named firm’s tariff. Compare the full price and assistance offered with applying yourself.

CIS concerns construction, not ordinary seasonal farm employment. Contractor deductions count towards liabilities but are not the final tax amount. A self-employed subcontractor normally reports income, allowable expenses and deductions through Self Assessment.

This page’s calculator estimates only Income Tax on employment income. It does not calculate CIS profit, Class 4 NI, offsets against all liabilities or a final CIS refund. Use a full tax-return calculation and the official process. The CIS guide remains in the library.

Seasonal Worker permission does not allow unrestricted self-employment or any other job. CIS tax guidance is not permission to undertake that work.

An Income Tax refund does not automatically repay National Insurance, pension contributions, accommodation or transport. Correct NI is not refunded merely because the season has ended or you have left.

NI errors or overpayments have a separate route. If the dispute concerns hours, rate or accommodation, gather your payslip and contract and use the pay-check guide. P85 is not a substitute for resolving a pay dispute.