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All refund routes

P800 refund

Claiming a P800 refund

HMRC has checked the year and found you paid too much. The letter tells you how to get it back; most people can have it in their bank within a week.

Who it is for

  • You received a P800 tax calculation showing a refund.
  • You are not in Self Assessment; if you are, the refund comes through your return.
  • The letter does not say a cheque is on its way. If it does, wait 14 days.

How to claim

  1. 1Sign in to your Personal Tax Account or open the HMRC app.
  2. 2Go to the refund claim; the letter gives the link, and it is also under your PAYE income.
  3. 3Choose bank transfer and enter your account details.
  4. 4Check the confirmation. Payment usually arrives within 5 working days; a requested cheque takes up to 6 weeks.

What happens next

If you do not claim, HMRC does not pay it automatically unless the letter says so. Check the figures on the P800 too: if HMRC’s income figures are wrong, so is the refund.

What to have ready

  • Your Government Gateway user ID and password, or the HMRC app.
  • The P800 letter, for the reference and the amount.
  • Your bank sort code and account number.

Worth knowing

Never follow a link in a text or email to claim. Type gov.uk into the browser yourself.

The form on GOV.UK