There are several places you can find your tax code:
- PAYE Coding Notice, Form P2 – you and your employer get this ‘notice of coding’ from HMRC in the mail every March. It sets out how much tax your employer will deduct from your wages in the coming tax year.
- Payslips – weekly or monthly, from your employer.
- P60 – your annual tax summary, from your employer.
- P45 – document received from an employer when you stop working for them.
- HMRC – if you cannot find any of these documents, then call HMRC. You will need your National Insurance Number and they will have security questions for you, before they release your tax code.
- Pension advice slip – for private pension tax codes, this figure is also shown on your P60.
Your current tax code
The government usually changes the tax free personal allowance each tax year meaning tax codes change. This means to get your current tax code your most recent payslip from the current tax year is usually the best place to look.
Who has a tax code?
Anyone who is employed, either part-time or full-time, and anyone with a private pension. Each job and pension will have its own tax code.
Unemployed, fully self-employed and those only getting a State Pension will not have a tax code.
Why should I check my tax codes?
Your tax code determines how much income tax is deducted from your salary by your employer before you receive your wage. If it is wrong, then you are either paying too much or too little tax. Check all of them and check them regularly!