If you don’t give the taxman the full facts when completing your tax return, you could pay double the amount of tax that you owe. As of 2011, H.M. Revenue and Customs can impose a 100 per cent penalty for deliberate concealment of taxable income or capital gains.

Having the correct documents to hand is essential, and, if you are an employee, among these should be your P60 form.

At the end of each tax year, employers issue P60s, summaries of earnings and tax deducted, in hard-copy or electronic format. If you lose your P60, or if it is incorrect, you will need a replacement.

Things You Will Need

  • Payroll or employee number

  • National Insurance number

Call your employer’s Human Resources or Personnel department and speak to the payroll supervisor. If you work for a small business, talk to the person who prepares the payroll. If you do not know who deals with payroll in your organisation, ask your immediate supervisor.

Tell the person responsible for payroll that you need a replacement P60 and tell her the tax year to which it applies. Give her your name, your payroll or employee number (if you have one) and your National Insurance number. Ask whether your employer needs the request in writing.

Check whether your employer can provide a replacement P60 in electronic format if you prefer not to have a hard-copy document. Confirm which format you wish to receive and provide your email address if you choose an electronic document.

Confirm your request in writing if this is required. Restate the information that you gave over the phone. If you requested a hard-copy P60, include details of the address to which they should send the replacement. Alternatively, state that you will collect it in person.

Read your replacement P60 when you receive it. Check that it relates to the correct tax year and that all the details are correct. If you requested a replacement because the original was incorrect, the new P60 should state “REPLACEMENT” in a prominent position.

Tip

If you don’t know your National Insurance number, check a recent payslip. N.I. numbers are often printed on employee payslips.

Warning

Don’t leave it until the last minute to ask for a replacement P60. Payroll staff are often busy at the time when tax returns are due, and you may not receive the new P60 before your filing deadline passes.