# 0T tax code



## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

My wife checked her pay this morning to find she had barely received enough to cover her outgoings. She managed to contact one of the finance people in the school to find out what was going on only to be told there wasn't much they could help with except send her a copy of her payslip.

We've had a look over it and she has been paid as normal except her tax code is now showing 0T and she has been deducted around 50% of her salary. She has worked there a year and as of the 1st of Sep will be moving up a pay scale, nothing else has changed at all.

Any ideas why the sudden change in tax code, and will this likely be repaid by an adjusted tax code over the rest of the year? We'd prefer it as lump this month to avoid dipping into savings to use for her personal spends.

Thanks, James


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

Is it her only job?

Basically, code 0T means 0 tax free allowance, so all pay is taxed at relevant rates (at 20%/40%) as appropriate.

If it is her main/only job & you get the code restored during the tax year (1060L), a full refund will be repaid via the 1st pay packet the code is used.

Happy to help


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Yep, her only job. 

Not sure why she's been switched to this code. Just checked the actual numbers, it works out at 46% of this months earnings just for tax. 

She's far too proud to let me transfer her some money over too, would rather struggle through or dip into savings


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## slim_boy_fat (Jun 23, 2006)

Phone the Revenue and ask for her code to be re-instated.

I've done so in the past and, believe it or not, they were very helpful and the change was made efficiently and quickly.


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## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

> Phone the Revenue and ask for her code to be re-instated.


Wouldn't it be better to find out why the wife got her tax code changed in the first place?


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Andy from Sandy said:


> Wouldn't it be better to find out why the wife got her tax code changed in the first place?


Would certainly be nice to know!

She had to ring to get taken off emergency tax when she first started there last year too. The school staff told her it would take a few months, HMRC did it that day on the phone. They were pretty helpful when I've had to ring as well.


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Well this is still ongoing. Just got her pay slip for end of this month and still suffering massive deductions for the 3rd month running. Shes rung HMRC after each lot of pay that's been incorrect, has received several letters now stating that the tax code has been corrected and her work place have been informed, she has informed work herself with copies of the HMRC letters but the finance department are still blaming her. HMRC have even told her how much is owed but we're nowhere near getting it back.

What else can we do but keep badgering them? She works in a school so can we bypass them and got straight to Oxfordshire County Council and get them to sort it?

The amounts we are talking don't even add up to the income tax rate, 46% of her pay September just in income tax, 50ish% last month and I haven't seen this months.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

Weird to go on emergency tax when in the same job

That's 50% of pay and that's what I had to pay when I changed jobs, never was able to claim the money back and that's 4 years ago now


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

She's not changed jobs though which is the bit we don't get.

Its not ideal with Christmas coming, and my birthday next month. Will have to let her off the present and meal out I'm promised!


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## slim_boy_fat (Jun 23, 2006)

"What else can we do but keep badgering them? She works in a school so can we bypass them and got straight to Oxfordshire County Council and get them to sort it?"

Don't see why not, they're the ones paying her salary aren't they? I assume the school only confirm hours worked etc to the Council....?


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Spoke to my Dad now he isn't busy as he is a finance officer at a Hampshire school. He thinks as its an academy that pay has nothing to do with the council, he also thinks that if it is paid by Oxfordshire that they are using Hampshires system at the mo and he isn't surprised it's messed up.

Unfortunately he couldn't offer any more advice that is different to what we've already done.

I have scanned and sent her copies of the HMRC letters with the first dated 13/09/15, I don't really know how the academy can keep blaming her for not doing her bit in getting it sorted.


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

Unacceptable on so many levels.

In cases like this back when I was a Taxes advisor in an HMRC contact centre, I used to fax the coding notice direct to the employer finance department with a covering letter instructing the employer to operate the code immediately on their systems, in lieu of the actual notice going out in the post.
That way, the employer can't deny receiving the instruction to change the code & it ensures the code is set against the next pay day, which gets the refund sorted in the pay packet.

We still have faxes in HMRC, so if the employer still uses a fax (long shot I know) you could try this approach


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

The letters all clearly state that the employer has been informed so HMRC have done their bit.

She's just forwarded me on an email from her finance dept. Minus names this is the whole thing.



> I have received and forwarded al the appropriate information to Payroll a couple of weeks ago
> They advised me that they would check when this month's payroll is run that they would inform me of any changes
> I have contacted them again as this is due over the next couple of days


Firstly... A couple of weeks ago? This has been running since the 1st of September. Give a few days for school to start and the wife to take it up with them, another few days to ring HMRC and get the first letter sent out. It was dated the 13/09/15. Allow a few days for postage. Assume the school got it the 20/09, thats 2 months ago. Why are they only sending on 2 weeks ago, that's after the second lot of messed up pay?

Secondly why is she only just chasing it up now?

Thirdly, why did it take another email, after consultation with the head teacher and using the vaguely threatening ending " an informed decision regarding my next course of action" to even get a reply?

Shocking really!


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## Tricky Red (Mar 3, 2007)

AFAIK tax coding notice changes are automatically applied nowadays through the web and are not sent through the post. I'm waiting on a new one now for 3 months since I had my Low emissions company car.


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

RTI (Real Time Information) allows the flow of info between employers & HMRC as it happens, and 'should' make things easier to track.

But sometimes when things go awry it still needs a bit of manual intervention.

It's shocking that a supposedly good respectable employer has treated an employee in this manner.

It shouldn't have taken so long for the coding notice to be passed on & it shouldn't have taken another follow up to see what was happening.

HMRC can send a coding notice by fax directly to the payroll department FAO a relevant individual so it can be corrected immediately.


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Well her tax has finally been sorted, this months pay has been amended with a refund of everything she is owed. The school is claiming they only received the tax code on the 15th Oct.

She still hasn't received her pay rise however...


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Kimo said:


> Weird to go on emergency tax when in the same job
> 
> That's 50% of pay and that's what I had to pay when I changed jobs, never was able to claim the money back and that's 4 years ago now


Overpaid tax would be repaid automatically when your tax code reverts to normal one.


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## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Amazingly her pay rise has been sorted too, back dated as of Novembers oay. Hopefully that puts an end to it although of the 15 months pay she will have received from the school only 10 have been correct 1st time. How can you get away with doing that to an employee?

Thanks for the advice offered.


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