Tax rebates

Every once in a while, you could get a surprise in the post, in the form of an Inland Revenue rebate cheque. These pennies from heaven, which usually arrive in April after the start of the new tax year, occur when you have paid too much tax during the previous tax year.

Most people are unaware that they have been paying too much tax. One reason for a refund is if you have changed jobs during a financial year and there has been a delay in processing your P45 (your personal tax record, including details of your tax bracket and any allowances).

If you are paying for a vocational training such as an NVQ or SVQ, you can get tax relief on the course payments and equipment costs.

This means your new employer will have no tax records for you and will have to temporarily use an emergency tax code. As the emergency code is at a high rate, any excessive tax you pay will be refunded at the end of the tax year.

Calculate your own tax payment

More taxation advice