How to Claim a Tax Refund from HMRC (P800, Uniform and Work Expenses)

How Do I Claim a Tax Refund?

For most employees and pensioners, the fastest way to claim a tax refund is online through your HMRC personal tax account or the HMRC app. If HMRC has already worked out that you overpaid, it will send you a P800 tax calculation telling you how to claim. If the overpayment comes from job expenses such as a uniform or professional fees, you claim the relief yourself. If you file a Self Assessment return, the refund is claimed through the return.

You can go back four tax years in addition to the current one. You do not need to use a refund company, and HMRC does not charge for claims.

Common Reasons You May Be Owed a Refund

• You were on an emergency or wrong tax code — for example BR or 0T on your main job, or 1257L M1 after starting work mid-year. See our guides to the BR code, the 0T code and emergency tax.
• You stopped work part-way through the year and did not use all your Personal Allowance.
• You took a taxable lump sum from a pension and the provider deducted tax on an emergency basis.
• You paid for work expenses your employer did not reimburse — uniform cleaning, tools, professional subscriptions, or business mileage in your own vehicle.
• A benefit in kind ended (such as a company car) but your code still included it.
• You are a higher-rate taxpayer who made personal pension contributions or Gift Aid donations and has not claimed the extra relief.

P800 Tax Refunds

After each tax year ends on 5 April, HMRC reconciles the tax paid through PAYE against what you should have paid. If you have paid too much (or too little), it sends a P800 tax calculation, usually between June and the end of November. You will get a P800 by post, or see it in your personal tax account.

The P800 tells you how to get your money. Depending on your circumstances, you will either be able to claim online and have it paid to your bank account, or HMRC will send a cheque. If you do not claim online within the time given on the P800, HMRC normally sends the refund by cheque automatically.

Check a P800 before accepting it. It is based on the figures HMRC holds — if a job, pension or benefit is missing or wrong, the calculation will be wrong too. If you disagree, contact HMRC with your P60s and payslips.

You do not get a P800 if you are in Self Assessment; any refund is dealt with through your return instead.

Uniform Tax Rebates and Flat-Rate Expenses

If you wear a uniform or protective clothing and have to wash, repair or replace it yourself, you can claim tax relief. HMRC sets flat-rate expense amounts for many occupations, so you do not need receipts for the flat-rate amount. The standard flat-rate amount for uniforms in many jobs is £60 a year — worth £12 a year to a basic-rate taxpayer and £24 to a higher-rate taxpayer. Some occupations, including certain healthcare, engineering and trade roles, have higher amounts.

A branded T-shirt or a uniform your employer launders does not qualify. It must be a recognisable uniform or protective clothing that you are responsible for maintaining.

You claim online through the GOV.UK claim for tax relief on job expenses service (the online version of form P87). HMRC usually gives the relief by increasing your tax code for the current year, and repays earlier years as a refund. HMRC may ask for evidence to support a claim, so keep records of what you have paid.

Other Work Expenses You Can Claim

• Professional fees and subscriptions to bodies on HMRC's approved list (List 3), where membership is relevant to your job — for example many accountancy, nursing, engineering and legal bodies.
• Business mileage in your own vehicle where your employer pays less than the approved mileage rate of 45p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles (25p after that). Commuting does not count.
• Tools and equipment you have to buy for your job and your employer does not reimburse.
• Working from home costs — only if your employer required you to work from home (not if you chose to). The rules on this relief have been tightened in recent Budgets, so check that it is still available for the year you are claiming before submitting.

If your job expense claims total more than £2,500 in a year, you normally have to claim through Self Assessment rather than the online form.

How Far Back Can You Claim?

You can claim for the current tax year and the previous four tax years. In the 2026/27 tax year, that means you can still claim back to 2022/23 — but the 2022/23 claim must reach HMRC by 5 April 2027. Anything earlier is out of time.

That makes it worth checking now if you have worn a uniform, paid a professional subscription, or used your own car for work for several years without claiming.

Should You Use a Tax Refund Company?

Refund companies make claims on your behalf and typically take a percentage of the refund as their fee, sometimes with a minimum charge. Many also ask you to sign a form that assigns the refund so HMRC pays it straight to them. For a straightforward P800 or uniform claim, you can do it yourself for free online in a few minutes.

If you do use a third party, read the terms carefully: understand the fee, whether they will be paid your refund directly, and whether they will keep acting on your behalf in future years.

Watch Out for Tax Refund Scams

Fake "tax refund" texts and emails are one of the most common scams in the UK. HMRC will never tell you about a refund by text or email with a link, or ask you to give personal or bank details that way. Genuine refund information comes by post, through your personal tax account, or through the HMRC app.

If you receive a suspicious message, do not click the link. Forward phishing emails to HMRC's phishing team and suspicious texts to 60599, then delete them.

What to Have Ready Before You Claim

• Your National Insurance number and Government Gateway or HMRC app login.
• P60s, P45s and final payslips for each year you are claiming.
• Your employer's name and PAYE reference for each job.
• For job expenses: what you paid, when, and any reimbursement you received from your employer, plus receipts or other evidence in case HMRC asks.
• Bank details for the account you want the refund paid into.

Having these ready means you can check HMRC's figures and complete an online claim in one sitting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if HMRC owes me money?

Check your personal tax account or the HMRC app for a P800 or a refund message, and compare the tax on your P60 with what your income should have attracted using our income tax calculator.

Can I claim a refund if I am self-employed?

Yes, through your Self Assessment return. If you have overpaid payments on account, the return will show a refund, which you can claim through your online account.

Is a tax refund taxable?

No. It is your own overpaid tax being returned. Interest HMRC adds to some repayments is taxable, however.

What if HMRC says I underpaid instead?

If you owe less than £3,000, HMRC will usually collect it by adjusting your tax code for a future year. Check the calculation first — underpayments are often caused by out-of-date information.

Get Help Reclaiming Overpaid Tax

If your situation involves several jobs, pensions, benefits in kind or earlier years, or HMRC's figures do not look right, our tax advisers can review your records and make the claim for you. If you need to report other income, our Self Assessment service covers that too. For background on codes, see tax codes explained, or get in touch.