How does an Australian citizen on a Working Holiday Maker visa claim tax back?

Question

I am on a working holiday maker visa in the UK at the moment (I am an Australian citizen) and have been working here since last August, 2007. I was told that I could claim back all (or at least the majority) of the tax I have paid right now as the tax year has finished. Can I? Or do I have to wait until I leave the country?

If I can straight away, how do I go about doing this?

Also, do you know what is the average percentage people get back? - considering I worked full time for approx 7 months of the tax year.

Thanks!

Answer 1

sazm82 is correct, but also, you can get your NI contributions transferred to your Australian superannuation scheme.  They will not give you a cash refund like they would to some people (like New Zealanders, because they don't have a national superannuation thing) but it's still worth doing.

So yes, you can now claim back tax for the last financial year, and then you can make a second claim either at the end of the next financial year or when you leave the country, whichever comes first.

Answer 2

Have you completed form P86? If not, download from hmrc/p86, complete and send to tax office with form P60. This has to establish your residency status, which should be OK as you are a Commonwealth citizen. You would be entitled to the personal tax free allowance of £5225 for last year, any income over that, and you will be liable to some tax.  The British tax year goes from 6th April to 5th April, so you may have a backlog of unused tax allowances. It depends what code number your employer used. Would need to know the amount of your pay, and how much tax deducted to tell you how much refund is due. There is no set percentage. You may be able to get an idea yourself by imputting form P60 figures into www.listentotaxman.

Answer 3

call into your local tax office, they will do it all for you, at worst youl have to make an appointment..

by the way, what do you think of England then, you didnt say

Answer 4

Your employer should have given you a P60 which gives your pay and tax details from Aug 07 to the end of the tax year 5 April 2008. Send this into your HMRC office and ask for the year to be reviewed. If you have overpaid, they will issue any repayment due. It's not a percantage that you get back, it's just what you have overpaid. If you have earned less than the allowance for that year £5225, you will receive the full amount of tax deducted back.

You can find your tax office at  http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/local/individuals...