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I think my tax code is incorrect
Understanding your tax code and payslips as a Personal Assistant
If you're employed as a Personal Assistant (PA) through Direct Payments, Personal Health Budget or an individual paying for their own support, your employer will usually use a payroll service to manage your pay. This service helps them calculate your wages, tax, potential pension contributions and National Insurance (NI) deductions, and provides you with regular payslips.
What is a tax code and why does it matter?
Your tax code is used to work out how much income tax should be deducted from your wages. It’s made up of numbers and letters (like 1257L) and is issued by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The number shows how much of your income is tax-free, and the letter gives more detail about your situation.
It’s important to check your tax code is correct. If it’s wrong, you could end up paying too much or too little tax.
Where Can I Find My Tax Code?
You can find your tax code on:
- Your payslip
- A P45 or P60
- Your online HMRC account
- A pension statement (if applicable)
If you’re unsure or can’t find it, HMRC can help.
What If My Tax Code Is Wrong?
Payroll services can only use the tax code provided by HMRC—they can’t change it themselves. If you think your tax code is incorrect, you’ll need to contact HMRC directly or access your government gateway account. This is especially important if:
- You’ve recently started a new job
- You’ve received an emergency tax code (usually ending in W1, M1, or X)
- You’ve noticed unexpected changes in your take-home pay
Once HMRC updates your tax code, your employer’s payroll service will automatically apply the new one.
Why is a Payroll Service used?
Most employers of PAs use a payroll provider to:
- Calculate your pay and deductions accurately
- Provide payslips
- Submit tax and NI information to HMRC
- Handle end-of-year summaries and P45s if your job ends
This helps ensure everything is done correctly and on time. If you ever have questions about your payslip or deductions, your employer or their payroll provider can help explain the details
Sorting out problems
It's important to know when things aren't working well and how to resolve any problems that may arise.
- Information from Skills for Care on sorting out problems
- Guidance from Acas on early conciliation
- Information from Unison
- Solve a workplace dispute