I have lost my 2007 P45 but need the data to complete my tax return. What can I do?

I can estimate the earnings and tax but don't have the PAYE reference number. I don't live in the UK anymore which complicates matters.
Help!

Contact your previous employer, they will give you the PAYE reference number and will have all the information that was on your P45

Phone the tax office, it is very easy to get a new P45, have you got friends/family it can be sent to (if you are in a rush to get it) & they can tell you the code.

Hello,

(ANS) No! You need to contact the Inland Revenue (I think the inland revenue might have been merged into a larger dept though, so I am not sure what they are now called. Possibly the dept for work & pensions??) they are the government dept who issue the P45 and deal with your tax matters according to your tax code.

**If you know your national insurance number or tax code then thats going to help.

**YES! not living within the UK does complicate matters but I doubt it should be too difficult.

Regards Ivan

HMRC cannot give you a P45, it has to come from your employer. Ask your employer for a statement of earnings for that year, as they will not be able to provide a duplicate P45.

An employer can only issue one P45 - even if it gets lost in the post. The reason for this is that the form will provide what's known as tax free allowances for any other employer to use. Some people have more than one source of income or more than one employer; If each of these sources of income were to use the info provided on a P45 then you'd end up duplicating your tax free allowance and end up paying way too little in terms of tax. Tempting as this sound, the taxman will always suss it out in the long run! (Apologies if you know all this already by the way.)

Anyhoo...

Getting hold of the relevant info should be quite simple but you will have to contact the former employer to get what you need. Ask for a 'statement of earnings' and specify the reason. Stress you need the PAYE reference number too, and Bob's your uncle. Assuming you pass whatever ID checks they require, this stuff should be perfectly emailable too.