2026/27 Tax Year

Emergency Tax and Refund Checker

Use this when a new job, first payslip, missing P45 or strange code has left you wondering whether HMRC or payroll has taken too much. It compares a common emergency-code outcome with a normal cumulative 1257L position and shows the likely refund route.

Common trigger: emergency tax often appears when payroll does not yet have enough information, especially after a job change. GOV.UK says employers should usually use the starter checklist if a P45 is not available.

Your payslip setup

This is a first-pass estimator for the tax side only. National Insurance and payroll timing quirks are intentionally left out.
Estimated overpaid tax so far
£0 Current-code tax on this payslip: £0
Estimated tax on this payslip using the current code£0
Normal cumulative tax due to date on 1257L£0
Tax recorded to date after this payslip£0
Difference versus normal cumulative code£0
Likely statusNo obvious issue
Likely refund routeNo refund path needed
Current-code meaningCurrent code type explained here

What this means

A week 1 or month 1 code ignores earlier pay and tax. That can be harmless for a short period, but if payroll never receives the correct data it can leave you temporarily over or under taxed.

Tax code guide

How this checker works

This page compares two things: the estimated tax effect of the current code on this payslip, and the cumulative tax due to date if the same pay had instead been processed on a standard 1257L cumulative code for 2026/27.

Sources and practical route

GOV.UK emergency tax codes GOV.UK tax codes overview HMRC PAYE starter checklist guidance GOV.UK claim a tax refund

If the code is genuinely temporary and payroll later receives the correct details, the correction often happens automatically through payroll. If it does not, the refund can instead flow through a Personal Tax Account claim, a P800 reconciliation, or Self Assessment if you already file.