emergency tax query?

samo

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone would know about this before i get on the phone giving out to the tax office! I started a new job 6 weeks ago, provided P45, PPS info etc and when paid at the weekend for the 1st time for 6 weeks got half of what I expected. As I work part time I cant track anyone down in payroll but am assuming this is because taxed on emergency tax.

Anytime I have previously started a new job I've received a tax credit certificate fairly quickly but this would have been years ago. Is it normal to have NOT received a tax credit cert within 6 weeks of starting and if you were unemployed for a couple of months has anyone else found its affected the way they were taxed when starting a new job as 2 people I know told me it did??

One last thing as well - is emergency tax taken at 42% as well??

Lafortezza

Revenue Linky
Plenty of info there.
It sounds like your company hasn't received your tax cert yet and has put you on E tax for now. If you've paid too much tax this month then don't worry as you'll get it back once your correct tax details are set up with HR/payroll.

Have you got your payslip yet? It should give you your tax setup incl credits and cut off etc.

This page shows the number to call to have a chat to someone in the Revenue. It helps if you have you PPS number, and at least the name and address of your employer (their Tax Registered number would be better).
Dublin area 1890 33 34 25

seamus

If you supplied your P45, and your last employment terminated on or after 1st January this year, there's no need to wait for a cert of tax credits, they should have been taxing you at the correct rate from the day you gave it to them.

You will not receive a second cert. of tax credits after starting a new job, unless your rate of tax has changed.

[Edit: I should also mention that if your previous employer was taxing you at emergency levels when you left, then what they're doing is OK.

Otherwise, your going to have to contact payroll in your company, since they're the ones who have screwed up. Don't accept anything less than your tax refunded in your next pay packet.

samo

thanks for the replies there, seamus - what they did it turns out was pay me 40 hours too little and on emergancy tax so am about 600 quid short!!!

I was on standard (lower rate) in last employment which finsihed end of march this year (tax year runs from January now - is that right?) I got a short little email back today saying you were taxed on emergancy tax which doesnt sound correct by your advice and they will 'look into it' to see if they paid me for incorrectly for hours worked.


Really appreciate the info there from you both - least I have that in my head before i do battle and will give tax office a ring this afternoon.

cheers!

seamus

I was on standard (lower rate) in last employment which finsihed end of march this year (tax year runs from January now - is that right?)

That;s right.

I got a short little email back today saying you were taxed on emergancy tax which doesnt sound correct by your advice and they will 'look into it' to see if they paid me for incorrectly for hours worked.

It's their cock-up then. They have your P45, they're obliged to tax you as per the terms of the P45 - it'll have details of your weekly tax credits and how much tax you've already paid, which allows them to calculate how much you should be paying now - then after a few weeks they'll receive the cert of tax credits, and work from that, making and adjustments if required.

There's no excuse for it except laziness. Some companies will say "Oh, we had to do it because you gave us the P45 in the middle of a pay period" (i.e. the middle of the month, if you get paid monthly), or "Oh, we always tax emergency tax for the first pay packet", but it's all bull.
Once they have your P45 before pay day, they're obliged to calculate your tax correctly. If they don't calculate it properly, they're obliged to pay you the correct amount asap - you DON'T have to wait for the next pay day for your tax to be adjusted.

samo

thats great info, just got off the phone to tax office who said call us back with the employers reg no which I'm getting now and we will set you up with them. The guy in payroll doesnt even sound embarrased that this has happened, he'd be furious if he'd been left short of 40 hours wages and then taxed at emergency tax .

Its the biggest company i've worked for and the worst for HR by a mile. unbelievable