My employer has issued me with a photocopied P45, is this right?

Makes no difference, all it is, is a statement of earnings and your tax code. If they refused to give you one you can sign a P46 at your new job.

UK

EDIT: You will receive a refund as soon as your tax code is corrected, long before the end of the financial year.

Hi

They do have to give you one by law - just filing in a P46 at a new job won't help you either as you may then be taxed incorrectly and have to wait until the end of the tax year for any refund you may be due.

If they have given the original details to the tax office then you should be ok as they will work out a tax code for you based on that. Give them a ring and see if your employer has done this.

In reality if you need this P45 for the tax office they will not accept photocopies, they must be original versions if your employer hasn't given them the details. Also the tax office will accept a statement of earnings which is an original letter from your employer on headed paper giving the full information that a P45 will show.

Your employer is supposed to provide an original P45 but many employers don't. There is no law that makes them do it tho.

You could approach the Tax Office but even they cannot compel your employer to give you an original.

If you have another job just make sure you are paying the correct tax. If you are unemployed the job centre will issue you with a P45 if and when you stop claiming benefit. Because Job Seekers pay is taxable it counts against any earning you have later in the tax year.

Some employers are pigs and will just ignore your requests for an original P45 and there seems little you can do about it.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/working/forms/paye-forms.ht...

"Your employer should automatically give you a P45 when you stop working for them. If not, ask for it - you're entitled to it by law."