telling them your current salary!

kmoon

Bit of advice needed.

I've applied for a job through an agency (though I know who the company is). No salary level was mentioned, but the agency asked me what was my expected salary. I gave a figure roughly 30% higher than what I'm currently on, the agency agreed with this and passed it on to the company.
Have been to the interview, salary was not mentioned since they know what I'm looking for. Now according to the agent they were impressed with me are about to make me an offer, but they want details of my current salary.

Obviously I could tell a blatant lie and bump up what I'm currently on.
If I tell them my true current salary, they will no doubt question how I can look for such an increase.
If I tell them my salary is 10 or 20% higher than it actually is, surely they can check this out when I give them my P45.
On the other hand, I have some bargaining power in that i) they knew my salary requirements before even calling me for the interview, plus ii) Iknow from the agency that not many people have applied for the position.

any thoughts much appreciated, especically from peole who've been in similar situations.

Thanks in advance

GreeBo

You can explain the difference away with a bonus (or two) perhaps

MrPudding

Someone told me you could request a blank P45 from the revenue. Blank in the sense that it only gives the information you new employer needs to tax you correctly. Might be worth checking out.

MrP

d-redser

There is an option of handing in your P45 to your new employer without them finding out how much you were being paid.

I think it is the last page of your P45 (you know the way there are around3/4 different coloured pages attached??)

Definitly check it out...

the_syco

kmoon wrote:

but the agency asked me what was my expected salary. I gave a figure roughly 30% higher than what I'm currently on, the agency agreed with this and passed it on to the company.

kmoon wrote:

Now according to the agent they were impressed with me are about to make me an offer, but they want details of my current salary.

Ask the recruiter. Sometimes they help. Also point out that your basing your expected salery on your experience, (current ssalery + experience = better paed job) and that if the salery was the same as what you currently make, there'd be no incentive for you to move (of course, you can't say this if your desperatly looking for a way out of your job).

blackbird98

You do not have to disclose your previous salary. You can contact the revenue or an accountant and request a p45 which does not show your salary to date. You can also ask them why they want to know your salary. If you do disclose your salary, you could just explain that you are unhappy with your current salary, feel you are underpaid and feel that you can prove you are worth the extra. best of luck, hope you get the job

mel123

as the other posters said, there are ways around it...me personally if they question it i would just say that u get a healthy christmas bonus at the end of every year, and another mid way through the year or something. they wont want to see ur P45 until u join the company so by then ur salary will have been set anyway! when i go for another job, ill defo be doing the same, bumping my current one up a bit so they will have to match it.

oli_ro

you could:
- tell them that you've factored in other benefits, bonus, canteen, mobile, expenses, vouchers, medical inssurance, etc.

- make sure the p45 does not contain your sallary. apparently the tax will co-operate, there are people who are doing it. check askaboutmoney.com there is extensive debate about this subject

- also I am not sure about this practice about asking current level, before they make an offer. Why can't you just say to give you the going rate for your skills and the position they have open. I bet they know how much is it.
Then if you expect more than that you can start negotiating.

Gegerty

Just reply with the other 2 details they are looking for and leave the salary out of it. Don't explain yourself. If they keep pushing I'd turn it around and ask them why they need to know.

RedorDead

I was in the same situation when i went for the interview for my current job. I asked for 10k more than what i was on at the time. In the interview they asked me what i was on exactly, and they also said not to lie as they can check p45's etc. I told them a fib and led them to believe i made 5k more than i did as its easier to justify a 5k raise instead of a 10k raise.

They never did check it in the end. Just my tuppence.

How brave do you feel????;)

DublinWriter

I wouldn't lie - if it's a small company that you are going to then they can be petty about checking up things like this.

You originally told the agency your *expected* salary level, so fair's fair.

I wouldn't bother disclosing your current salary to the agency, they appear to be lazy and not bargaining on your behalf.

0utshined

RedorDead wrote:

...and they also said not to lie as they can check p45's etc.

That strikes me as incredibly bad form, did they wag a finger at you too? I hope your job is good because that kind of remark in an interview would make me question whether this was the company for me. Talking to you like a child is not the way to go.

I really don't see it as any of their business what your current salary is. You have told them how much you are looking for and if they're interviewing they should know what kind of range they can allow for it. I don't see any benefit in you telling them. In fact I think it would be a disincentive, if they think you are asking for too much of a leap they may be inclined to try and bargain you down.

Do not tell them or if you feel you must then certainly inflate the Euro figure to include non-tangible benefits you received to make the difference between that and your required rate more palatable for them.

BossArky

If they ask you inflate. They have no business knowing what you are currently on.

misguided

My advice, for what its worth, would be not to over-inflate. Most good contracts of employment have a clause in them that states the the offer is subject to references and the accuracy of the information provided during the selection process. If they find out - once you are hired that you lied through your teeth - they won't be impressed and it creates a very bad impression.

As an employer - I would always ask what your current basic salary is and then your salary expectations. The best answer to this is that you are currently paid well below the market rate for your level of expertise and ability. Also mention that part of what attracted you to the role was the salary as this is in line with your expectations. Be very clear with the agency that you won't accept a low salary offer. Let them do the work. They get paid enough!!!

Maccattack

man. everyone does it. we all quote a higher figure. dont sweat the p45 thing.

you would have the job at that stage. they wont take the job away because you inflated the figure. it will probably be a different department anyway.

if they asksay you got a few bonuses and you wouldnt have moved unless you got the money you wanted. no big deal.

JaneHudson

My friend lied about what she was on and then when her new employer saw her p45 he fired her saying it was dishonest and untrustworthy and he didn't know what else she had lied about. Even when she offered to take a pay cut he was having none of it.
Apparently he could fire her because she got her new position under false pretences (it was for a solicitors and she checked it with her legal friends from her old job).
So even though lots of people do it, you might not get away with it.

rsta

kmoon wrote:

If I tell them my salary is 10 or 20% higher than it actually is, surely they can check this out when I give them my P45.

hey kmoon,

You dont have to give your new employer your p45, you can send it straight to the tax office yourself.

ive done this before and its grand. afterall its to do with your tax and pay from previous employment and that is your affairs.. its not your new employers business as it doesnt affect their system of paying you. they would have to have some cheek to insist that you show your p45...

Id say go ahead and ask for the salary you want, after all like you said your agency has already passed on your salary expectations, so if they have seen you for an interview they are obviously comfortable with paying you that salary.

best of luck

edit: to get more information, give your tax office a call and explain to them, they will guide you in the right way, cheers

Santa Claus

The Tax office will issue you a new P45 which shows the tax you paid to date without the details of your annual salary.
As for how to explain difference in what you've earnt and what you should have earnt so far, you could have taken some unpaid leave !

Otherwise say that there's a guaranteed 15-20% bonus payable in July and a months salary bonus at chistmas...there's your 30 % (and most importantly neither of these will have been paid yet this tax year so your P45 will look OK)!

skywalker

P21 is the name of the form everyone is talking about, just showing the tax information the new employer needs to know, rather than your previous salary.

Santa Claus

skywalker wrote:

P21 is the name of the form everyone is talking about, just showing the tax information the new employer needs to know, rather than your previous salary.

A P21 form is a tax balancing statement and isn't available until after the start of the next tax year !

It is a p45 you give to a new employer !!!

Our man in Havana

Nope, when you send in your P45 to the taxman all he does is sends a new P2 cert to the employer. The employer will not know your income. All it tells him is how much to tax you.