How do I file a tax return if I work in United Kingdom?

Have you worked in the UK? Is the tax system confusing to you?

Compared to most countries in central Europe, where a tax year usually lasts from the 1st of January to the 31st of December, Great Britain is the exception. That is because the British tax year starts on the 6th of April and ends on the 5th of April of the following year. So if a citizen from the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Austria works in Britain, he has to make the distinction between the tax year in his home country and the tax year of the country he worked in during the year. Also he will need confirmation from every employer he worked for.

How do I file my tax return if I worked for the duration of a whole calendar year?

You will have to file two tax returns if you worked in Great Britain from the 1st of January 2018 to the 31st of December 2018 and the date of return was the 1st of January 2019:

• One for period from the 1st of January 2018 to the 5th of April 2018. This period falls under the tax year of 2017.
• One for the period from the 6th of April 2018 to the 31st of December 2018. This period falls under the tax year of 2018. You are required to file two tax returns, because the British tax year does not correspond to the calendar year. In your home country you will have to file only one tax return stating your foreign income.

When to apply for a refund?

You can apply for it at the end of each tax year. There is no deadline like the limit of 3 months in the Czech Republic – you can file for up to 4 tax years back. That means that in 2019 you can apply for the following years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.

What do I need in order to file a tax return?

In order to apply for a refund you will need these documents:

• the form P60
• the form P45
• your National Insurance number

Tax bands and rates

When will you receive your refund?

The tax office estimates 12 to 14 weeks for assessing your tax refund request and sending the funds to your bank account.