How to Get Your P60 (Including If It’s Lost or Late)
Reviewed by Shamayun Chowdhury, CIMA qualified accountant  | Published: 5 October 2026  | Last reviewed: October 2026  | Applies to: UK employees and pension recipients
Quick answer
To get your P60, ask the payroll or HR team of the employer you were working for on 5 April. They must give it to you by 31 May, on paper or electronically. If it’s lost and your employer can’t replace it, the same figures are in your HMRC personal tax account and the HMRC app.
Why trust this guide
This guide has been checked against current GOV.UK guidance on PAYE forms and reviewed by a practising UK accountant with more than 15 years’ experience of payroll, Self Assessment and HMRC compliance. We explain the official rules first, then the practical steps that actually get a missing P60 sorted.
Most people only think about their P60 when someone asks for it – a mortgage adviser, a letting agent, a visa application or a tax return deadline. That’s usually the moment you discover it’s buried in an old email, was never handed over, or came from an employer you left months ago.
The good news is that a missing P60 is rarely a dead end. Your employer has a legal duty to issue it, keeps payroll records for years, and HMRC holds the same figures in your online account. This guide shows you exactly where to look, who to ask and what to do if the usual routes don’t work.
What is a P60?
A P60 – officially called the P60 End of Year Certificate – is a one-page summary of the pay you received from one employer during a tax year, along with the Income Tax and National Insurance taken from it. The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April, so a P60 marked “tax year to 5 April 2026” covers 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026.
Put simply, the P60 meaning is this: it’s your employer’s official confirmation of what you earned and what was deducted through PAYE for the whole year. In practice, it works as your year-end proof of the tax already collected from your wages.
A few points that often cause confusion:
- One P60 per job. If you had two employers on 5 April, you should get two separate P60s, and each one only shows that job’s figures.
- Pensions count too. If you receive a workplace or private pension paid through PAYE, the pension provider issues a P60 in the same way an employer does.
- Paper or digital. Your employer can give it to you as a printed form or electronically, for example as a PDF in a payroll portal.
- It isn’t sent by HMRC. The figures are reported to HMRC through payroll, but the P60 document itself always comes from your employer or pension payer.
You’ll typically need a P60 to:
- claim back tax you’ve overpaid
- prove your income for a mortgage, loan or tenancy
- complete a Self Assessment tax return if you have other income alongside your job
- support benefit, visa or settlement applications that ask for evidence of earnings
If you’re self-employed only, you won’t get a P60 at all, because there’s no employer running PAYE on your income.
Who gets a P60 – and who doesn’t
The rule is simpler than most people expect. What matters is whether you were on an employer’s payroll on 5 April, the last day of the tax year. It doesn’t matter how many hours you worked, how much you earned or how long you’d been there.
| Your situation on 5 April | Do you get a P60? | Who issues it |
|---|---|---|
| Employed full-time or part-time | Yes | Your employer |
| Casual, zero-hours or seasonal worker still on the payroll | Yes, even if you weren’t paid in the final weeks | Your employer |
| Two or more jobs at the same time | Yes, one P60 from each employer | Each employer separately |
| Company director paid a salary through payroll | Yes | Your company (via its payroll) |
| Receiving a workplace or private pension through PAYE | Yes | The pension provider or scheme payroll |
| Left a job before 5 April | No – not from that employer | You should have a P45 instead |
| Self-employed only | No | No one – your income goes on a Self Assessment return |
Two situations catch people out every year:
- You changed jobs during the year. You’ll get a P45 from the job you left and a P60 from the job you held on 5 April. The P60 from your new employer usually shows your total pay and tax for the whole year, including figures carried over from your P45 – but only if the new employer received your P45 details. If not, the P60 may show just the pay from that one job.
- You left in late March or early April. If your leaving date was before 5 April, even by a day, you won’t get a P60 from that employer for that year. Your P45 is the document that covers that period.
When your P60 should arrive
Employers have a fixed deadline: your P60 must reach you by 31 May following the end of the tax year. Many payroll teams send it earlier, often in April or with the first May payslip, once their year-end payroll is closed. If your employer uses an online payroll portal, it may simply appear there without any notification.
| Tax year | Tax year ends | Latest date to receive your P60 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 5 April 2026 | 31 May 2026 |
| 2026/27 | 5 April 2027 | 31 May 2027 |
What to do if 31 May has passed and nothing has arrived:
- Check your payroll or HR portal, your work email and any personal email you gave payroll – digital P60s are easy to miss.
- Ask payroll or HR in writing (email is fine), stating the tax year you need and your National Insurance number or payroll number.
- If you need the figures urgently, sign in to your HMRC personal tax account or the HMRC app while you wait – your pay and tax for the year are usually shown there.
- If your employer still doesn’t provide it, contact HMRC. Employers who were obliged to issue a P60 and didn’t are in breach of PAYE rules.
A written request matters more than it seems. If you later need to show a lender, landlord or HMRC that you tried to get your P60, a dated email is far more useful than a conversation you can’t evidence.
How to get your P60: step by step
Whether you need this year’s P60 or one from a couple of years back, the route is almost always the same. Work through these steps in order and stop as soon as you have what you need.
- Pin down the tax year and the payer. Work out which tax year you need (for example, 2025/26 = 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026) and who was paying you on 5 April of that year. That employer or pension payer is the one that owes you the P60 – not HMRC, and not a later employer.
- Look where your payslips usually go. If your payslips arrive through an HR app, payroll portal or email, your P60 is almost certainly in the same place, often in a “documents” or “year-end” section. Check the spam folder of the email address payroll holds for you.
- Ask payroll or HR in writing. Send a short email giving your full name, National Insurance number, payroll or employee number if you have it, and the tax year you need. Ask for the P60 itself, not just a payslip.
- Contact a former employer if you’ve since left. If you were still employed on 5 April but left afterwards, that employer still has to give you the P60 for that year. Former employees can usually request it through the same payroll email address.
- Use your HMRC personal tax account or the HMRC app if you’re stuck. If your employer can’t help, sign in to your personal tax account or the HMRC app. Both list the pay and tax each employer reported for you – the same data your P60 would have shown.
- Contact HMRC as a last resort. If you can’t get into your online account, call or write to HMRC and ask them to confirm the pay and tax figures your employer reported for that year. Have your National Insurance number and your employer’s name and PAYE reference (if you know it) ready.
Copy-and-paste request you can send to payroll
Hello, please could you send me a copy of my P60 for the tax year ending 5 April [year]? My full name is [name], my National Insurance number is [NI number] and my payroll number is [number, if known]. An electronic copy by email is fine. Many thanks.
Getting your P60 in different situations
The basic steps above cover most people, but your circumstances change who you should ask and what you’ll actually receive. Use this table to find your situation quickly.
| Your situation | Who to ask | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Still working for the same employer | Payroll, HR or your line manager | The original P60 or a copy, usually within days |
| Left after 5 April of the year you need | Your former employer’s payroll team | A P60 for that year – they still owe it to you |
| Left before 5 April of the year you need | Check your own records first | No P60 from that employer – your P45 covers that period |
| Paid through an agency or umbrella company | The agency or umbrella that ran your payroll | A P60 from them, not from the client you worked at |
| Receiving a pension through PAYE | Your pension provider or scheme administrator | Often available in an online member account by 31 May |
| Need a P60 from more than 3 years ago | The employer, then HMRC | A copy if records still exist; otherwise possibly a statement of earnings on headed paper, or HMRC’s figures |
| Employer has closed down or stopped responding | Your HMRC personal tax account or HMRC | The pay and tax figures, rather than a P60 document |
A note on “copies” and “duplicates”. Employers don’t have to reproduce the original form exactly. In practice, payroll teams usually issue a copy clearly marked “duplicate”, or a letter on company paper confirming the same figures. Both are normally fine for a tax return. If you need the document for a mortgage, visa or tenancy, check with the organisation asking for it whether a duplicate or an HMRC printout is acceptable before you rely on it.
Lost your P60? Your three options
Losing a P60 is common and easy to fix. HMRC won’t print a new P60 for you, but there are three reliable ways to get either a replacement document or the figures it contained. Which one is best depends on why you need it and how quickly.
| Option | What you get | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Replacement from your employer | A copy marked “duplicate”, or a letter confirming the figures | Mortgages, tenancies, visa applications – anything that asks for the document itself | Can take time with large or outsourced payroll teams |
| 2. HMRC personal tax account or HMRC app | Your pay and tax figures for each employer and year | Self Assessment returns, tax refund checks, quick answers | Some lenders want a P60, not a screenshot – ask first |
| 3. Contact HMRC directly | Confirmation of the pay and tax your employer reported | When you can’t get online access or your employer has gone | Slowest route; have your National Insurance number ready |
Once you have it back, save a PDF or photo of every P60 in one folder. It takes seconds and saves you repeating this process next time a lender or HMRC asks.
How long should you keep a P60? There’s no single rule for every employee, but if you file a Self Assessment tax return you’re expected to keep your records for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year the return covers. Lenders often ask for one to three years of P60s, so keeping several years is sensible.
What’s on a P60 form
P60s don’t all look alike, because each payroll system produces its own layout. What they share is a set of core details, headed “P60 End of Year Certificate” with the tax year it covers.
| Section | What it shows | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Your details | Name, National Insurance number, payroll or works number | NI number is exactly right – a wrong digit can misdirect your record |
| Employer details | Employer name, address and PAYE reference | Note the PAYE reference – you’ll need it for HMRC queries |
| Pay and tax – previous employment(s) | Figures carried over from a P45, if you changed jobs in the year | Blank if your new employer never received your P45 details |
| Pay and tax – this employment | Taxable pay and Income Tax deducted by this employer | Should match the year-to-date totals on your final payslip |
| Total for the year | Combined pay and tax across the employments above | This is the figure most tax returns and lenders use |
| Final tax code | The tax code in use at the end of the year | An emergency code (ending W1, M1 or X) is a sign tax may be wrong |
| National Insurance | Your NI contributions and earnings bands, by category letter | Category letter suits your situation (e.g. over State Pension age) |
| Other deductions and payments | Student or postgraduate loan repayments and statutory payments such as maternity or paternity pay, where relevant | Loan deductions match what you expected to repay |
What a P60 doesn’t show: taxable benefits such as a company car or private medical insurance. Those are normally reported separately on a P11D, or taxed through your payroll during the year. If you’re preparing a tax return, don’t assume the P60 tells the whole story of your employment income.
What to do if your P60 is wrong
Mistakes on P60s usually come from payroll, not HMRC, so your employer is the right place to start. Common errors include a misspelt name, an incorrect National Insurance number, pay from a previous job missing, or student loan deductions that don’t add up.
- Compare it with your final payslip. The year-to-date pay and tax on your last payslip before 5 April should match the “this employment” figures. If they do and the P60 still looks odd, the issue may be your tax code rather than the P60 itself.
- Check your HMRC personal tax account. If the figures there match the P60, payroll reported what it printed – the question is whether the underlying pay or tax was right. If they don’t match, there may be a reporting error.
- Tell payroll in writing. Explain exactly what’s wrong and attach evidence, such as a payslip. Where a correction is needed, employers normally issue a new P60 clearly marked “replacement”, or a letter confirming the corrected figures.
- Escalate to HMRC if it isn’t fixed. If your employer won’t correct a genuine error, or you believe the wrong amount of tax was taken, contact HMRC with your P60, payslips and your employer’s PAYE reference.
If the error means you paid too much tax, HMRC may correct it automatically after the year ends and send you a tax calculation letter. You can also claim the refund yourself, and a corrected P60 is the evidence that supports it.
P45 vs P60: the difference
The P45 and P60 cover the same kind of information – your pay and tax – but at different moments and for different purposes. The simplest way to remember it: a P45 is for leaving a job, a P60 is for staying in one until the year ends.
| P45 | P60 | |
|---|---|---|
| When you get it | When you stop working for an employer | After the tax year ends, by 31 May |
| Period covered | 6 April up to your leaving date | The full tax year, 6 April to 5 April |
| Format | Several parts – some go to your next employer, one you keep | A single certificate you keep |
| Main use | Helps your next employer set the right tax code | Proof of annual income and tax paid |
| If lost | No replacement – your new employer uses a starter checklist instead | Ask your employer for a replacement, or use HMRC’s figures |
One mix-up to avoid: you can’t hand a new employer your P60 in place of a P45. The P60 only covers a completed year, whereas your new employer needs your figures for the current year so far. If you don’t have a P45, they’ll ask you to complete a starter checklist.
If you changed jobs during a tax year, you may need both documents for your records – the P45 from the job you left and the P60 from the job you held on 5 April.
Accountant insights, mistakes and tips
Accountant insights
- Your HMRC account is usually faster than chasing paper. For a tax return or a refund check, the figures in your personal tax account are normally all you need. Save the chase for situations where someone specifically asks for the P60 document.
- The “previous employment” box changes everything. If you moved jobs during the year, your new P60 may already include your old job’s pay and tax – or it may not. Always check that box before entering figures on a tax return or mortgage form.
- The tax code tells a story. A P60 showing an emergency code at year end often means your tax was worked out without your full allowance for at least part of the year. That’s worth checking, because it can point to an overpayment.
Common mistakes
- Leaving it until a deadline. Requesting a P60 the week a mortgage offer or tax return is due leaves no room for a slow payroll team. Ask as soon as you know you’ll need it.
- Asking HMRC to post you a P60. HMRC doesn’t issue P60 documents. It can give you the figures, but the certificate itself only comes from your employer or pension payer.
- Double counting P45 and P60 figures. Adding your P45 totals to a P60 that already includes them inflates your income on a tax return and can lead to overpaying tax.
Practical tips
- Make June your P60 month. Once 31 May has passed, download or scan your P60 into one folder, named by tax year and employer.
- Update your email before you leave a job. Give payroll a personal email address so a P60 or P45 doesn’t land in a work inbox you can no longer open.
- Write down the PAYE reference. It’s printed on your P60 and payslips, and it makes any later request to HMRC or a former employer much quicker.
Two real-world scenarios
These are illustrative examples to show how the rules work. Figures use the 2025/26 Personal Allowance of £12,570 and the 20% basic rate for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scottish rates differ.
Scenario 1: Changed jobs in February, applying for a mortgage
Amira left one employer in February 2026 and started a new job in March. Her mortgage adviser asks for her latest P60.
- She won’t get a P60 from her old employer for 2025/26, because she left before 5 April. She should have a P45 instead.
- Her new employer must give her a P60 by 31 May 2026, because she was on its payroll on 5 April.
- She checks the “previous employment” section. If her P45 details were passed on, the P60 shows her full year’s pay. If that section is blank, the P60 only shows about one month’s pay – which would badly understate her income to a lender.
What she should do: give the adviser both her P45 and her P60, and point out which figures belong to which job, or ask whether the lender will also accept her HMRC employment history.
Scenario 2: Two jobs at the same time
Dan worked two part-time jobs throughout 2025/26 and needs his total income for a Self Assessment return.
| P60 | Tax code | Pay | Tax deducted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job A (main job) | 1257L | £22,000 | £1,886 |
| Job B (second job) | BR | £6,000 | £1,200 |
| Total | £28,000 | £3,086 |
Each P60 only shows its own job, so Dan adds them together. As a check: £28,000 minus the £12,570 allowance leaves £15,430 taxable, and 20% of that is £3,086 – exactly what was deducted.
What this shows: with the allowance used in his main job and the second job on a BR code, his tax was right. If his allowance had been split incorrectly, or both jobs had used 1257L, the totals would not match – and that’s when a P60 helps you spot an under- or overpayment.
P60 FAQs
What is a P60 in the UK?
A P60 is an end-of-year certificate from your employer or pension payer. It shows the taxable pay you received from them in a tax year (6 April to 5 April) and the Income Tax and National Insurance deducted. You get one from each employer you’re working for on 5 April.
Can I get my P60 online?
Often, yes. Many employers and pension providers publish P60s in a payroll or member portal. If yours doesn’t, you can see the same pay and tax figures in your HMRC personal tax account or the HMRC app – though that’s a record of the figures, not the P60 document itself.
Can HMRC send me a copy of my P60?
No. HMRC doesn’t issue P60 documents. What it can do is confirm the pay and tax your employer reported, either in your online account or when you contact them. For an actual copy, you need to ask the employer or pension payer that issued it.
When will I get my P60?
Your employer must give it to you by 31 May after the tax year ends. For the 2026/27 tax year, which ends on 5 April 2027, that means by 31 May 2027. Many employers send it earlier, in April or May.
Do I get a P60 if I left my job?
Only if you were still employed there on 5 April. If you left before that date, you’ll get a P45 from that employer instead. If you left after 5 April, your former employer still owes you a P60 for the year that just ended.
Can I get a P60 from previous years?
Usually, if you ask the employer. Employers must keep payroll records for at least three years, so recent years are normally easy to supply. For older years, they may give you a statement of earnings instead, or you can get the figures from HMRC.
What if my employer won’t give me my P60?
Put your request in writing first. If they still don’t provide it, use your personal tax account or the HMRC app for the figures, and contact HMRC. Employers who must issue a P60 and fail to do so are breaking PAYE rules.
Is a P60 the same as a payslip?
No. Each payslip only shows one pay day, whereas the P60 rolls the entire tax year into a single statement. Your final payslip’s year-to-date totals should, however, match the figures on your P60 for that job.
Do self-employed people get a P60?
No. P60s are only issued through PAYE payroll. If you’re self-employed, you report your income on a Self Assessment tax return instead. If you’re both employed and self-employed, you’ll get a P60 for the employed part only.
Why have I got more than one P60?
Because you had more than one employer or pension payer on 5 April. Each one issues its own P60 showing only its own pay and tax. Add the figures together to get your total employment income for the year.
Sources
| Fact | Source | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| P60 issued to anyone employed on 5 April, by 31 May, on paper or electronically; one per job | GOV.UK – Your P45, P60 and P11D form | October 2026 |
| Lost P60: ask employer; otherwise use personal tax account, HMRC app or contact HMRC | GOV.UK – Lost PAYE forms | October 2026 |
| P45 parts, no replacement P45, starter checklist | GOV.UK – P45 | October 2026 |
| Viewing your income and tax online | GOV.UK – Personal tax account | October 2026 |
About the reviewer
Shamayun Chowdhury is a CIMA qualified accountant with more than 15 years of UK practice experience. He is a Senior Accountant at Major Accountancy in Leicester and a Lecturer in Accounting at Nottingham Trent University, and supports UK businesses and individuals with Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT and Making Tax Digital compliance.
This guide is general information based on HMRC guidance at the date of review. It isn’t personal tax advice. If your situation is complex, speak to a qualified accountant, or browse more of our plain-English UK tax guides.
Missing a P60 and a tax return deadline coming up?
Tax Return Accountants can work from your HMRC records to complete your Self Assessment accurately – even if your P60 is lost or late. Call 0116 403 0595 or contact our team.