P45

[Sir David Gray]

Roughly how long should it take for an employer to issue a former employee with a P45?

I left my last job on 20th December after giving 4 weeks' notice. I started my new job on 6th January and I still haven't received a P45. My new employer has said the P45 needs to be with payroll by Friday of this week in order to avoid me being taxed on emergency rate for January's wage.

I've messaged my previous manager about it who has said he has contacted HR earlier this week but as of today they apparently haven't replied to him.

I wouldn't have thought it would take the best part of a month, at the very least, to receive a P45 but perhaps someone with more knowledge on such matters may want to correct me on that.

Any help appreciated.

[speedy_gonzales]

Roughly how long should it take for an employer to issue a former employee with a P45?

I left my last job on 20th December after giving 4 weeks' notice. I started my new job on 6th January and I still haven't received a P45. My new employer has said the P45 needs to be with payroll by Friday of this week in order to avoid me being taxed on emergency rate for January's wage.

I've messaged my previous manager about it who has said he has contacted HR earlier this week but as of today they apparently haven't replied to him.

I wouldn't have thought it would take the best part of a month, at the very least, to receive a P45 but perhaps someone with more knowledge on such matters may want to correct me on that.

Any help appreciated.
I've perhaps been fortunate and only changed jobs once in the last 28 years, but I'm fairly sure I got my P45 within 2 weeks (this was 13 years ago).

[Sir David Gray]

I've perhaps been fortunate and only changed jobs once in the last 28 years, but I'm fairly sure I got my P45 within 2 weeks (this was 13 years ago).

Cheers that's what I thought. I last changed jobs 5 years ago and I remember having my P45 in place for starting my new job then.

I was giving them the benefit of the doubt at first due to the Christmas and New Year period being just after my leaving date but my last working day there would be 4 weeks ago on this coming Friday which I think is ample time to issue a P45.

My ex-manager has said he will contact HR again tomorrow but has also provided me with their email address for me to contact them myself which gives me the impression that he doesn't really want to get too involved in it.

He also said that you should be expecting that you would be emergency taxed on your first wage with a new employer which doesn't seem right to me if you get your P45 on time which I'm assuming most people do.

[JeMeSouviens]

Cheers that's what I thought. I last changed jobs 5 years ago and I remember having my P45 in place for starting my new job then.

I was giving them the benefit of the doubt at first due to the Christmas and New Year period being just after my leaving date but my last working day there would be 4 weeks ago on this coming Friday which I think is ample time to issue a P45.

My ex-manager has said he will contact HR again tomorrow but has also provided me with their email address for me to contact them myself which gives me the impression that he doesn't really want to get too involved in it.

He also said that you should be expecting that you would be emergency taxed on your first wage with a new employer which doesn't seem right to me if you get your P45 on time which I'm assuming most people do.

I can’t remember exactly how long it normally takes but it’s always been automatic when I’ve moved. I have had an emergency tax code and it gets adjusted for in subsequent pay when the real tax code is issued. I think that’s fairly normal too.

[Pretty Boy]

Can you arrange with your current employer to complete a starter checklist (the replacement for the old P46)? It's not ideal but it should allow them to work out the correct tax code for you.

[Sir David Gray]

Can you arrange with your current employer to complete a starter checklist (the replacement for the old P46)? It's not ideal but it should allow them to work out the correct tax code for you.

I'd seen that mentioned online so might be a possibility. It's no an option that's been offered to me so far so not sure what their procedures are.

[Sir David Gray]

I can’t remember exactly how long it normally takes but it’s always been automatic when I’ve moved. I have had an emergency tax code and it gets adjusted for in subsequent pay when the real tax code is issued. I think that’s fairly normal too.

Yeah I know it gets adjusted in future months and I'll get any overpayments refunded. It's more the fact that I gave a month's notice and have also been away for two days shy of a month and still don't have a P45 that's annoying me.

I don't feel there was any need for me to be placed on an emergency tax code with my new employer and my old employer has had plenty of time to get this to me.

[Killiehibbie]

Yeah I know it gets adjusted in future months and I'll get any overpayments refunded. It's more the fact that I gave a month's notice and have also been away for two days shy of a month and still don't have a P45 that's annoying me.

I don't feel there was any need for me to be placed on an emergency tax code with my new employer and my old employer has had plenty of time to get this to me.

No excuse for taking this long. They've known you were leaving since November. A decent company would've had it to you within a week of your last pay, 2 at a push.

[JeMeSouviens]

Yeah I know it gets adjusted in future months and I'll get any overpayments refunded. It's more the fact that I gave a month's notice and have also been away for two days shy of a month and still don't have a P45 that's annoying me.

I don't feel there was any need for me to be placed on an emergency tax code with my new employer and my old employer has had plenty of time to get this to me.

Yes, I agree. I think going direct to your old payroll bypassing your old boss is probably a good move.

[Sir David Gray]

No excuse for taking this long. They've known you were leaving since November. A decent company would've had it to you within a week of your last pay, 2 at a push.

Yep agreed. I was prepared to wait until early January to get it due to the time of year etc but we're now at the end of the second full week of January and still no further forward.

Personally think it's ridiculous and sums up in a nutshell why I've left.


Yes, I agree. I think going direct to your old payroll bypassing your old boss is probably a good move.

Thanks yeah I emailed the payroll email address that my ex-manager gave me last night but nothing so far. He apparently emailed for them on Monday as well and he's heard nothing as well.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that my ex-manager's not interested but his response in his message last night by shifting the onus onto me to chase it up myself etc gives me the impression that he's got other more important things to worry about than a P45 for someone who doesn't work for him anymore.

[Scouse Hibee]

If your old employer still doesn't send you your P45, or says it can't, remind them that it is a legal obligation to provide all ex-employees with a P45. If it can't provide that, the company is breaking the law and you should contact HMRC about it. If you lose your P45… You cannot get a replacement.

[Sir David Gray]

If your old employer still doesn't send you your P45, or says it can't, remind them that it is a legal obligation to provide all ex-employees with a P45. If it can't provide that, the company is breaking the law and you should contact HMRC about it. If you lose your P45… You cannot get a replacement.

Cheers I knew it was a legal thing that I had to get a P45 and I think I actually read the exact page you're quoting this from. What it didn't make clear though is what "if your old employer still doesn't send you your P45..." means in terms of actual time, i.e. is there a physical time limit on how long HMRC gives employers to issue a P45 to their ex-employees?

[Allant1981]

Cheers I knew it was a legal thing that I had to get a P45 and I think I actually read the exact page you're quoting this from. What it didn't make clear though is what "if your old employer still doesn't send you your P45..." means in terms of actual time, i.e. is there a physical time limit on how long HMRC gives employers to issue a P45 to their ex-employees?

Pretty sure there is no time limit

[Sir David Gray]

Pretty sure there is no time limit

That's what I thought.

So if, for example, after another 2 weeks (which would then be 6 weeks after I left) I still don't have a P45, would HMRC entertain my complaint?

[Allant1981]

That's what I thought.

So if, for example, after another 2 weeks (which would then be 6 weeks after I left) I still don't have a P45, would HMRC entertain my complaint?

Yip I'd certainly be speaking to HMRC now, it's quite a simple process as you probably know to sort a p45 so it shouldnt take that long but new staff coming in to my dept have spoken of issues like this before, hmrc will contact your ex employer and ask the question.

[Sir David Gray]

OK so the plot thickens.

I've still heard nothing from my old employer, I get paid on Monday from my new employer and I saw my payslip yesterday and as expected I've been put on the emergency tax code meaning I've been overtaxed by approximately £200.

The weird thing is I logged onto my personal tax account on the HMRC website and when I checked yesterday it had me last getting paid by my last employer in December (which is correct) and it said that if I had now left them then I should wait until 8th February before being able to update my records on the HMRC site. I've just logged on this morning and it now has me down as being paid by my last employer this month and I now need to wait until 10th March before being able to update anything if I have now left them! There's also no record of me being paid by my new employer!

Has anyone used this site before and if so do you know if the site just takes a bit of time to update your employment records? Or does this suggest that my old employer has completely mucked up in processing me as a leaver and I'm going to be paid by them on Monday?

I'm so confused and struggling to get through to HMRC on the phone! Does anyone know if they have an email address where you can discuss these matters or is just via the phone?

[Onceinawhile]

OK so the plot thickens.

I've still heard nothing from my old employer, I get paid on Monday from my new employer and I saw my payslip yesterday and as expected I've been put on the emergency tax code meaning I've been overtaxed by approximately £200.

The weird thing is I logged onto my personal tax account on the HMRC website and when I checked yesterday it had me last getting paid by my last employer in December (which is correct) and it said that if I had now left them then I should wait until 8th February before being able to update my records on the HMRC site. I've just logged on this morning and it now has me down as being paid by my last employer this month and I now need to wait until 10th March before being able to update anything if I have now left them! There's also no record of me being paid by my new employer!

Has anyone used this site before and if so do you know if the site just takes a bit of time to update your employment records? Or does this suggest that my old employer has completely mucked up in processing me as a leaver and I'm going to be paid by them on Monday?

I'm so confused and struggling to get through to HMRC on the phone! Does anyone know if they have an email address where you can discuss these matters or is just via the phone?

Firstly, you have almost no chance of getting an email address for HMRC. They don't really have them for anything other than enquiries, or specific bits of tax (think PSAs, Loan schemes or HNWI).

I'm not surprised you are struggling to get through to HMRC by phone, they are, to all intents and purposes useless.

Regarding the personal tax account bit - is it possible that you still had some accrued holidays, or did you work a few days that went over in to the next month's pay? This might explain why they haven't issued a P45 and why HMRC have you down as getting paid. Seems like they didn't process their RTI submission with you as a leaver, so that might be the reason why.

Other than that, just try and stick with it. I (personally) wouldn't phone HMRC about the lack of a P45 from your old employer, as you never know when you might need to return and you don't want to appear to be burning bridges.

[Sir David Gray]

Firstly, you have almost no chance of getting an email address for HMRC. They don't really have them for anything other than enquiries, or specific bits of tax (think PSAs, Loan schemes or HNWI).

I'm not surprised you are struggling to get through to HMRC by phone, they are, to all intents and purposes useless.

Regarding the personal tax account bit - is it possible that you still had some accrued holidays, or did you work a few days that went over in to the next month's pay? This might explain why they haven't issued a P45 and why HMRC have you down as getting paid. Seems like they didn't process their RTI submission with you as a leaver, so that might be the reason why.

Other than that, just try and stick with it. I (personally) wouldn't phone HMRC about the lack of a P45 from your old employer, as you never know when you might need to return and you don't want to appear to be burning bridges.

I've managed to contact them this morning through a webchat, they've updated my tax code and have updated their system to expect a P45 from my last employer. My last day with them was 20th December and I was also paid on that date (usual pay date was 27th of each month but got paid early due to Christmas).

I definitely won't be returning to work for them, I left on very good terms and their payroll department is in a different part of the country to where I worked anyway so I doubt it would be an issue even if I did want to return.

Apparently my new employer should expect to hear from HMRC in the next 10 days with my updated tax code and I should hopefully get a refund of any overpayments in next month's pay.

[Allant1981]

Do you have any annual leave still to take for the remainder of the year? If so then your actual end date may be different to the date you actually finished(if that makes sense)

Edit - just seen another poster mentioned your holidays!

[Sir David Gray]

As if by magic I received my P45 a short while ago in the post!

You couldn't make it up! :faf: