Tax Refunds for Individuals: A Guide to Self-Assessment

This guide will show you how to get your Self Assessment tax return refund. There may be other reasons why you want a tax refund, but this is only for people who have filed a self-assessment tax return.

If you only pay PAYE, this should happen automatically when HMRC performs a P800 reconciliation. However, they frequently do not do so until October. If you believe you are due a refund, there are other avenues to pursue that are not covered in this guide.

So, why would you receive a tax refund? Why not - it appears to be a good idea to me.

These are the most common reasons for receiving a tax refund:

• PAYE overpayment
• Loss from self-employment offset against PAYE
• Payment on Account Overpayment
• Pension drawdown is taxed, and there is no other income.
• Paid into a pension pot and not taken into account in your tax coding
• Donations to charity
• Several jobs are taxed at the basic rate.
• The personal allowance is not taken into account in CIS deductions.
• Credit for marriage transfer allowance on your tax bill

It takes at least 72 hours after filing your tax return for your online account to be updated with how much you owe or should be repaid. If you include your bank account information in your tax return, HMRC should refund you the money directly using that information within two to four weeks. Most people, however, do not enter their bank details and must then apply for a refund because HMRC does not know where to send the money.

This guide is for you if you did not include your bank information in your tax return and now need to request that the money be sent to you.

Begin by accessing your digital tax account. It will take you to the following screen.

Then enter your Government Gateway ID, which can be up to 12 characters long (it can be a mix of letters and numbers, or it can all be numbers). You want the business tax account, so click sign in. When you open your personal tax account, there will be a link to your business tax account along the top.

You should now click on "View Self Assessment" to view your self-assessment tax return for the year you want the money back for. So, as you can see from my balance, I could get £262 back. 83, but I owe money as well. Then click "View your tax assessment for 2019/20" (or whatever year you're looking at).

This will bring you to the tax year screen:

Look at the right-hand side menu in the above image and click on "Current position" to see if you have overpaid. In my case, I can ask for £262. 83 back

So, now click "Request a Refund."

I have £262. (Woohoo, thank you!) ) But it is entirely up to me to decide how much money I wish to request. It won't let you overrefund, but if I only put in £100, it will only refund me £100, leaving me with £162. 83 Why is this significant? Maybe you still have a payment due in July, but the money they have available to refund could more than cover the July payment. So you can keep the July amount with HMRC and only get a refund for the difference. That's one way to ensure you've paid your July payment on account and that you won't have a problem if you forget.

Enter the amount you want to request and then press the next button. "Am I refunding this to a personal account, a business account, a nominee's personal account, or a nominee's business account?" it will ask. ”

As a tax agent, I could say, "No, I'm refunding it to a nominee's business account." However, some accountants obtain the refund and then deduct any fees before distributing it to you, the client. That is something I do not believe in. I believe in billing my clients separately, after which you pay the fees and receive the refund directly from me. So, if your accountant is going to do it this way, make sure you give them your bank account information. However, this guide will show you how to do it yourself without the need for an accountant.

Assume your refund is going to your personal bank account. Click next, and it now wants to know everything about the bank account, your name and address, and so on.

They've now added that they'll check the account it's going to, which is why they ask if it's a business or personal account, your account or a nominee's account. They will verify that the person's information matches the information on the tax return. So, enter your information and then click next. You will receive a confirmation stating the amount to be refunded, your account information, and so on.

It will also provide you with a reference number to demonstrate that you completed the application. What is the significance of this? Unfortunately, HMRC sometimes appears to lose the request for the refund, and I have known to have applied three or four times to get refunds for clients. They disappear into thin air, and it is only when the client calls and complains that the funds are transferred. I'm not sure why, they've never explained if there are any security checks or anything, but that's sometimes the case. As a result, you should apply for it yourself rather than having your tax agent do it for you.

That's all. You can then return to Self Assessment to complete the session.

As always, if you have any questions, please send me an email and I will do my best to assist you.

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This document contains general information and is not intended to provide specific advice. address the situation of any specific individual or entity Despite our best efforts, There is no guarantee that the information provided is accurate and timely. accurate as of the date provided, or that it will remain accurate in the future No After obtaining appropriate professional advice, no one should act on such information. thorough investigation of the specific situation Herrington Accounting, Louise Herrington Performance Accountancy Services disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from

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