can my new employer find out how much i earned in my last job

[kaw69]

Hi
I am starting a new job in a few weeks time it has been 20 years since I moved jobs so the question is :
on my P45 that I will be getting from my current employer will it have details of my earnings and tax to date or just my tax code as I would prefer to keep my earnings to myself and the tax man.
TIA

[ummmm]

Earnings and tax to date.

[whiskeysheri]

It will have details of your earnings to date this year. I have just handed mine in to my new employer. If you don't want them to know, though, you can give them a P60 and send off your P45 to the tax office yourself.

[kaw69]

Hi whiskey
But surely a P60 will show what I earned last year and I do not want them to know what I earned.
It is a new job taken on merit so I will be judged and paid on results which is what I intended but I do not want them to know my income level.
Is there any way to conceal this from my new employer?

[barry1010]

No. But if your income is much higher than they expect they won't know if it all comes from one job. You could have two jobs or considerable investments.

[cathfromsaron]

think you want the p46 not p60

http://www.direct.gov...PayingTax/DG_10013512

[whiskeysheri]

Oops, that'll teach me to rush. Thanks, cath! Yep, meant the P46.

[cathfromsaron]

i always say them the wrong way round, that's how i know!

[factor-fiction]

I think they need to know so they can make sure they deduct the right tax taking account of your tax code and previous earnings this tax year.
The chances are your manager won't see it anyway- it'll probably be actioned by a payroll clerk

[kaw69]

Hi factor30
It is a one man firm that I am going to so he does all the tax NI etc himself so he will know my income level.

[whiskeysheri]

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/p46.pdf

[boxtops]

If you don't give them the P45 then you may find yourself paying basic rate tax until the tax office processes your P46 and sends the correct notification round to the employer. - it'll sort itself out but you might get whacked for tax in the first few weeks if the employer doesn't know which tax code to apply to your earnings.

[tonywiltshire]

Why would you not want your new employer to know what you were earning, they must have asked you?

[twix123]

If you complete a form P46, your new employer will be obliged to deduct tax at the Basic Rate until HMRC inform them of your correct tax coding.
Eddie is incorrect in stating that HMRC will tell them what your previous earnings were. Subsequently you will ahve to reclaim the excess tax paid from HMRC.

[bednobs]

why must they have asked?

[ummmm]

If he uses a payroll package such as sage, when HMRC send in your tax code any rebate should be calculated with your next wage automatically.

[dzug2]

<<Eddie is incorrect in stating that HMRC will tell them what your previous earnings were.>>

He's not - they will be able to work it out, if so inclined. from your tax code

[twix123]

I beg to differ regarding HMRC informing of previous earnings. Whenever new staff have given me a P46 instead of a P45, I have had to use a Basic Rate tax coding until informed otherwise. When HMRC then issue a new coding notice it has always worked on a Week 1/Month 1 basis, which calculates tax on the weekly/monthly earnings for that period and does not allow for earlier earnings in either the same or previous employments. For the majority of staff this hasn't made much difference to the amount of tax deducted, especially if they get HMRC to issue a coding notice promptly. The tax coding notice does not indicate how much tax has been deducted in previous employment, this is only apparent from a P45 or P60.