It is important to know if HMRC is holding money that belongs to you. For example, if you have paid too much tax to HMRC, you may be able to claim a tax refund (also known as a tax rebate). Overpayments can happen for a number of reasons, including changes in your employment, paying tax using the wrong startegy or not claiming eligible expenses.
The process for claiming a refund depends on your circumstances, including whether you complete a self-assessment tax return and the type of income or expense involved. HMRC provides an online service to help you find out what you need to do if you have overpaid tax.
You may be able to claim a refund if you have paid too much tax on income from a job, job-related expenses such as working from home, fuel, work clothing or tools, a pension, overpayments revealed by a self-assessment tax return or a redundancy payment. Refunds may also be available for UK income taxed while living abroad, interest from savings or payment protection insurance (PPI), income from a life or pension annuity, foreign income, or UK income earned before leaving the UK.
HMRC offers an online service at www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund/y that allows you to check whether you are eligible and, in many cases, submit a claim.
If you have already claimed a tax refund, you can use HMRC’s guidance to check when you should expect a response.