UK Tax Refund — Claim Your Overpaid PAYE Tax Back | Refutax
UK tax refund

Claim your UK tax refund. Get every pound you’re owed.

If you worked in the United Kingdom and paid PAYE income tax, there’s a strong chance you overpaid. Whether you worked in hospitality, construction, healthcare, warehouses, food processing, or any other industry — Refutax handles your entire claim with HMRC so you don’t have to.

Why the UK?

The UK tax system puts foreign workers on the wrong tax code. We fix that.

The UK uses a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system where your employer deducts income tax directly from your wages based on a tax code assigned by HMRC. The problem is that foreign workers are frequently assigned an emergency tax code (typically W1, M1, or 0T) which means you’re taxed at a much higher rate than you should be. On top of that, if you only worked in the UK for part of the tax year, you’ve likely used less than your full personal allowance (£12,570 tax-free threshold in 2024/25), meaning the tax you paid on your first £12,570 of income should be fully refunded. Refutax specialises in recovering overpaid PAYE tax from HMRC for foreign workers.

£1,500+ Average

UK tax refund per year
Our services

What you can claim back from the UK

The UK tax system offers several ways to reclaim overpaid tax. Here are the three main claims we handle for you.

PAYE Tax Refund

If you were placed on an emergency tax code or only worked part of the UK tax year (6 April to 5 April), you almost certainly overpaid PAYE income tax. We file your claim with HMRC to recover the difference between what you paid and what you actually owe. PAYE refunds typically range from £500 to £2,500+ depending on your earnings and how long you worked.

CIS Tax Refund

If you worked in the UK construction industry under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), your contractor deducted 20% or 30% tax at source from your payments. In many cases, this is more than you actually owe, especially if you have allowable expenses. We file your CIS tax return with HMRC and claim back the overpaid amount. CIS refunds can be substantial — often £1,000 to £5,000+ per year.

Work Expense Claims

Beyond the basic PAYE refund, you may be entitled to claim tax relief on work-related expenses that you paid for yourself. These include uniform and work clothing costs (flat rate allowance available for many industries), tools and equipment, professional subscriptions and union fees, and travel expenses for temporary workplaces. These claims can add £100–£1,000+ to your total refund, and in many cases you can claim for the past 4 years.

Why thousands of workers trust Refutax for their UK tax refund.
  • We understand the HMRC PAYE system — our experts handle hundreds of UK tax claims every year
  • Personal phone support in your language
  • We check emergency tax codes, CIS deductions, and work expenses all at once
  • Claim refunds for up to 4 previous UK tax years — don’t leave money with HMRC
gradient

Stats

12K+

Services Offered

gradient

Avegare Refund

£1,500

Average refund per client per year

gradient

Succes

96%

Successful claims filed

gradient

Docs

< 48h

From documents to filing

gradient

Years

4 years

Of past taxes you can still claim

Who can claim a UK tax refund?

You are most likely eligible if any of the following apply:

  • You worked in the UK for less than a full tax year (6 April to 5 April)
  • You were placed on an emergency tax code (W1, M1, 0T, or BR)
  • You left the UK partway through the tax year
  • You had multiple jobs or changed employers during the tax year
  • You earned below the personal allowance (£12,570) but still had tax deducted
  • You paid for work uniforms, tools, or professional fees out of your own pocket
  • You were a student working part-time or during holidays
  • You received a P800 from HMRC saying you overpaid (or you didn’t but suspect you should)

Not sure? Use our free eligibility check or call us — we’ll tell you within minutes.

What documents do you need for a UK tax refund?

Don’t worry if you’re missing some — our team can help you get replacements from HMRC or your employer.

  • P45 (End of employment certificate): Given by your employer when you leave a job — shows your income and tax paid
  • P60 (End of year certificate): Annual summary from your employer — shows total income and tax for the full tax year
  • Payslips: Monthly or weekly pay records showing your income and PAYE deductions
  • ID or passport: Proof of identity

How long does a Dutch tax refund take?

  • Your application: 5 minutes
  • Our review & filing: 1–2 business days
  • HMRC processing: 4–8 weeks
  • Refund to your bank: 5–10 business days after HMRC approval

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about getting your tax refund.

Yes. You do not need to be in the UK to claim your tax refund. Refutax handles everything remotely — we file your claim with HMRC on your behalf, and the refund can be sent to your bank account in any country. In fact, if you left the UK partway through the tax year, you’re one of the most likely candidates for a refund because you probably didn’t use your full personal allowance.

An emergency tax code (typically W1, M1, 0T, or BR) is assigned by HMRC when your employer doesn’t have your full tax details. Instead of giving you the benefit of your tax-free personal allowance cumulatively across the year, it taxes each pay period independently. This almost always results in overpaying tax, especially if you started a new job mid-year, changed employers, or didn’t have a P45 from a previous job. If your payslip shows any of these codes, you’re very likely owed a refund.

You can claim a UK tax refund for the past 4 tax years. Remember, the UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April (not the calendar year). So in 2025, you can claim for the 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 tax years. We recommend claiming all eligible years at once to maximize your total refund.

CIS stands for Construction Industry Scheme. If you worked as a subcontractor in UK construction, your contractor deducted either 20% (if you were registered with HMRC) or 30% (if unregistered) from your payments. This is often more than you actually owe in tax, especially after accounting for allowable expenses like tools, materials, travel, and vehicle costs. We file your CIS tax return with HMRC and claim back the overpaid amount.

Yes. While a P45 makes the process easier, it’s not essential. We can work with your payslips, and HMRC also holds records of your employment and tax payments. In some cases, we can request the information directly from HMRC on your behalf. Don’t let a missing P45 stop you from claiming.

A P800 is a tax calculation letter that HMRC sends automatically when they believe you’ve overpaid or underpaid tax. If you received one saying you overpaid, you’re definitely owed a refund. However, not everyone receives a P800 — HMRC doesn’t always catch overpayments automatically, especially for people who have left the UK. That’s why it’s worth using Refutax to check whether you’re owed money, even if you never received a P800.

Yes, HMRC can send refunds to international bank accounts, although the process may take slightly longer than a UK bank transfer. They can issue a cheque or, in some cases, make an international bank transfer. We help you choose the fastest option based on your situation. If you have a UK bank account (even a digital one like Monzo or Revolut), that’s usually the quickest way to receive your refund.

Ready to claim your UK tax refund ?

Start your free application today. It takes less than 5 minutes, and you’ll know within 48 hours if you’re eligible for a refund.
  • Zero Fees
  • Free Application
×

Select Language