National Insurance Number...and Tax

[zipadeedodah]

I just realised after 7 months of getting payslips that my national insurance number on it is wrong...does anyone know what consequences this will have on what tax I pay etc...?  It's my first proper job where I've been taxed, but is part-time.  The tax code I'm on is 'BR'.

[Sasha13]

Wrong NI numbers shouldn't affect tax I think I'm right in saying (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but they will have an impact on pension contributions being paid towards your state pension, so you need to get it sorted urgently. Write to the tax office to do this. Also, if this job is your only job, you shouldn't be paying base rate (BR) tax. You need to ask your employer for a form called a P46, fill it in and get them to fill in their bits, then send to the tax office. If you are a student in full time education who is only working during the holidays, you need a P38 form instead. You should also be due a tax rebate as you have been paying tax at about 23% for the last 7 months. This may come automatically in the month following your new tax code allocation, or you may have to claim it from the tax office in April.

[zipadeedodah]

Thanks for the quick answer Sasha13...I'm not a student, I've been in a gap year, and am actually leaving the job in a month's time to go back to College.  But yes, it's my only job, and am not very knowledgable about this kind of stuff!

[kempie]

Further to Sasha13:

Your question implies that this is your first and only employment using PAYE, in which case you should most likely have a 489L code i.e. the first �93 of your weekly pay (or �407 monthly) is not taxed.

I suspect that this NI number error is the reason for your BR tax code (this means that all of your pay is taxed at Basic Rate), in which case you have paid too much tax but it can be refunded to you.

You need to rectify the error immediately with your employer.

[zipadeedodah]

Thanks kempie.  I rang up the payroll people and told them, but will they sort it out for me to get a tax refund if I'm owed one, or do you think I still need get a form as Sasha suggests as well?