How to Get a Replacement P45 or P60
Losing a P45 or P60 is more common than most people realise. These documents are often needed years later for tax returns, benefit claims, mortgage applications, or simply for personal records. This guide explains the official routes available and what to do when those routes are no longer possible.
What is a P45 and a P60?
A P45 is issued by an employer when you leave a job. It shows your pay and tax details up to your leaving date and is split into several parts.
A P60 is the end-of-year summary of your pay and tax. Employers must issue it by 31 May following the end of the tax year.
Official Ways to Get a Replacement
1. Contact your former employer
This is the first and preferred option. Employers are responsible for issuing both documents. Even if you left years ago, many larger employers can still re-issue them.
2. Use your HMRC Personal Tax Account
You can view some employment history and tax information through your Personal Tax Account. However, HMRC does not usually re-issue the original P45 or P60 forms themselves.
3. Contact HMRC directly
HMRC can sometimes provide a statement of your earnings and tax, but this is not the same as the original P45 or P60 form.
What If the Employer No Longer Exists?
This is one of the most common problems. When a company has closed, been dissolved, or simply no longer responds, obtaining an official replacement becomes very difficult.
In these situations many people need a correctly formatted document for their own records. This is where professionally prepared replacement documents are sometimes used for personal record-keeping purposes only.
Important Notes
- Official documents should always be obtained from the original issuer or HMRC whenever possible.
- Replacement documents produced by third parties are for personal records, educational use, or production purposes only.
- They must never be presented as official documents to HMRC, lenders, or any third party.