Reviewed by Mustafa Bilgic
Founder, WebCalculator
Income Tax rates and personal allowance per HMRC for 2026/27. Refund claim process per gov.uk/claim-tax-refund. Not financial advice.
Use the tax refund calculator to check whether you have overpaid Income Tax in the UK. Enter your gross annual earnings and the total Income Tax actually deducted, and it compares your actual tax with the correct 2026/27 calculation — showing any refund due or underpayment owed.
Compare actual vs correct tax
An employee earns £30,000 but is taxed on the BR code for 3 months before their correct 1257L code is applied. During those 3 months they pay £1,500 tax (20% of £7,500) instead of the correct £1,066 — an overpayment of £434. The calculator shows this difference when you enter your full-year totals.
The emergency tax calculator shows exactly how emergency coding affects your pay. The income tax calculator gives a full 2026/27 breakdown. The tax code calculator decodes your tax code.
Compare the Income Tax you actually paid (shown on your payslips or P60) with the correct tax on your annual earnings using the standard personal allowance of £12,570. If you paid more than the correct amount — often because of an emergency tax code, a mid-year job change or incorrect tax code — you are owed a refund.
You can claim online through your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk, by calling HMRC on 0300 200 3300, or by sending a P50 or P53 form by post. Most PAYE overpayments are corrected automatically when HMRC reconciles your records after the tax year ends — you receive a P800 calculation by post or online.
If you claim online through your Personal Tax Account, refunds typically arrive within 5 working days. Claims by post take 6 to 8 weeks. Automatic P800 refunds after the tax year end usually arrive between June and October.
Emergency tax is applied when your employer does not have your correct tax code — often when you start a new job without a P45. It usually means you are taxed as if you have no personal allowance for that pay period, resulting in too much tax being deducted. Use the emergency tax calculator for a detailed breakdown.
Yes. You can claim a tax refund for the current year and up to 4 previous tax years. For example, in 2026/27 you can still claim back to 2022/23. HMRC does not refund beyond 4 years except in exceptional circumstances.
The personal allowance for 2026/27 is £12,570. You pay no Income Tax on the first £12,570 of earnings. It tapers by £1 for every £2 earned above £100,000 and is fully withdrawn at £125,140.