What is a P50?

Using a P50 form is one of the ways you can claim back overpaid income tax paid on a pension lump sum and you have stopped working.

When do I use a P50 form?

You can only submit this form after your fourth week of unemployment. There are a number of circumstances that are covered by the P50:

  • If you have gone back to study full-time.
  • If you don’t think you’ll be going back to work (maybe because of redundancy).
  • If your period of unemployment has been for 4 weeks or more.
  • If you don’t claim Jobseeker’s Allowance, Taxable Incapacity Benefit or Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance. These are all taxable benefits.

Where do I get a P50 form?

You have the option to fill out and submit the P55 form electronically by accessing it through your online government gateway account. If you don’t have a user ID and password for the government gateway, you can easily create one when you begin using the service.

Alternatively, you can choose to download the form and mail it to HMRC at the address Pay As You Earn HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AS.

What do I do if I can’t use a P50 form for my tax rebate claim?

There are several situations where a P50 is not the appropriate method of obtaining your tax rebate:

  • You need a different form from HMRC, called a P53, if you got a small pension lump sum payment. This could be called a small pot or a trivial communication payment.
  • You have two options if you get an occupational pension. You can either apply to HMRC for your rebate after 5th April, or you can apply to your pension provider for the repayment.
  • A Pension Flexibility Payment has its own rules that are available on HMRC’s website.
  • If you are claiming one of the taxable benefits mentioned above, then Jobcentre Plus will deal with your rebate. You should submit your claim after the next April 5th or when your claim ends, whichever comes first.
  • If you are about to start a new job in the next 4 weeks, then your next employer will sort out the repayment through the salary system. You just need to give them parts 2 and 3 of your P45 when you start.

Other tax rebates

Being made redundant is never nice but it’s a great time to consider whether you may be entitled a tax rebate for previous tax years.

You can use our tax refund guides to review your tax position and help you claim back what you are owed for the last four years.



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