How do I claim a tax refund?

If you have paid too much tax, or ‘overpaid’ tax, and you complete a tax return, HMRC will send you a repayment once they have processed your tax return.

If you are not within self assessment, that is, you do not complete a tax return, you can still claim back overpaid tax.

There are different forms and processes to follow depending on how the tax refund arises.  There is clear and easy to use guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund/y “  Claims can be made on line or, where this is not possible, through downloading or requesting the relevant form which can then be sent to HMRC.  Online claims are processed faster.

What information is in this section?

Claiming back a straightforward overpayment of tax should usually be easy enough to do yourself. But exactly how you do it depends on the type of income you have. Choose the section that applies to you.

We also look at tax refund companies and explain why you should be careful of them..

What are the time limits for claiming back tax?

You have four years from the end of the tax year in which the overpayment arose to claim a refund, as shown below. If a claim is not made within the time limit you will lose out on any refund that may be due.