Questions we're asked every day

A tax refund is tax you overpaid during the tax year being paid back to you. We work out your profits, file your return with HMRC to show the tax you should have paid, and the refund is the difference between that and what was deducted.

Anyone who has lived and worked in the UK and paid too much tax. That includes CIS workers, people who changed jobs part way through the year, people on the wrong tax code, and anyone who left the UK during a tax year.

Common reasons: you only worked part of the year, had more than one job or employer, had CIS deductions taken at 20%, were put on a basic-rate or emergency tax code, or didn't claim your work expenses.

It depends on your circumstances. Our clients' average is around £3,500. If you earned less than the tax-free Personal Allowance (£12,570 for 2025/26), you can usually claim back all the tax you paid. Try our CIS refund estimator for a rough figure.

After the tax year ends on 5 April. You can also claim for earlier years at any time within the four-year limit.

The previous four tax years. The 2022/23 tax year can still be claimed until 5 April 2027.

If you worked under CIS: your monthly payment and deduction statements from each contractor, plus proof of the expenses you want to claim. If you were employed: a P45 for each job and your P60. You'll also need a P11D if you had benefits, and dividend vouchers if you took dividends. If anything is missing, we can obtain it from HMRC for you.

We file your return within 72 hours of receiving everything we need. HMRC allows 6 to 8 weeks to issue refunds, but when all the information is accurate our average is 10 days from filing. Some claims take longer, for example without a permanent National Insurance number or when HMRC is delayed.

We agree how you'd like to be paid before we start. When HMRC pays the refund, we transfer it to the bank account you chose, minus our fee.

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. The 2025/26 tax year ran from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026.

Yes. We register as your agent, so we can speak to HMRC on your behalf. Our team make thousands of calls to HMRC each year and know exactly what to ask, saving you time and hassle.

HMRC accepts very few excuses, even if you owe nothing. You'll be charged £100 the day after the deadline, then £10 a day after three months (up to £900), then 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is more, at six months and again at twelve months. If you can't provide the records behind a return, penalties can reach £3,000 per tax year.

If your turnover from self-employment and property (before expenses) is over £50,000, it applies now, from April 2026. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. Read more about Making Tax Digital.

For refund claims, our fee comes out of the refund HMRC pays, so there's nothing to pay up front. For other work we'll agree the fee with you before we start.