What Is a P60 Form and Why It Matters (UK 2026 Guide)

Every year, millions of UK workers are issued with a P60, yet few people know what it actually does or why it matters. As of 2026, a P60 is far more than another piece of payroll paperwork: it is your official year-end tax summary, confirming exactly what you earned and how much tax you paid.

Whether you are applying for a mortgage, claiming a tax refund, or proving your income, your P60 is one of the most important financial documents you will receive. This guide explains what a P60 is, what each figure on it means, why you need one, where to get it, and what to do if something looks wrong. To sanity-check the tax figures on yours, you can run your salary through our Income Tax Calculator.

What Is a P60?

A P60 is an official document your employer or pension provider gives you at the end of each tax year (which runs from 6 April to 5 April). It summarises your total pay and the tax deducted under PAYE for that year with that employer.

It shows:

• Total pay received from that employer for the year
• Total Income Tax deducted
• National Insurance contributions paid
• Any statutory payments, such as maternity, paternity or sick pay
• Your final tax code and National Insurance number
• Employer details and PAYE reference

If you held more than one job during the year, you will receive a separate P60 from each employer you were still working for on 5 April. A P60 only covers employed (PAYE) income, so if you are self-employed your equivalent record comes from your Self Assessment tax return instead.

Understanding the Figures on Your P60

The numbers on a P60 can look confusing at first. Here is what the main entries mean:

If your tax code looks unusual, our list of tax codes and what they mean explains each one. The difference between your gross pay and what actually reached your account is covered in net pay vs gross pay explained.

P60 vs P45 vs Payslip

These three documents are often confused, but each does a different job:

• P60 is your year-end summary from an employer you were still with on 5 April.
• P45 is issued when you leave a job, showing your pay and tax up to your leaving date.
• Payslip is your record for a single pay period.

For a fuller comparison, see P45 vs P60: the difference and when you need each and our guide to understanding your PAYE payslip.

Why the P60 Form Is So Important

When You'll Receive Your P60

Your employer must give you your P60 by 31 May following the end of the tax year. For example:

• The 2025/26 tax year ends on 5 April 2026, so you should receive that P60 by 31 May 2026.
• The 2026/27 tax year ends on 5 April 2027, so you should receive that P60 by 31 May 2027.

You will usually get it electronically through your employer's payroll system, or on paper if your employer still issues printed documents.

How to Get a Copy of Your P60

If you have lost your P60, there are several ways to get the information back:

1. Contact your employer. Employers must keep payroll records for at least 3 years and can usually reissue a copy.
2. Check your online payroll or HR portal. Many employers provide digital P60s under a "tax documents" or "year-end" section.
3. Use your HMRC Personal Tax Account or the HMRC app. These show the same pay and tax figures as a P60, which many organisations accept as proof.
4. Ask HMRC for a Statement of Earnings. If your old employer no longer exists, request this on 0300 200 3300.

Note that HMRC does not reissue the formal P60 document itself; it provides the underlying figures instead.

What to Do If Your P60 Is Wrong

Mistakes do happen. If your P60 shows the wrong tax code, income or deductions:

1. Check it against your final payslip of the tax year.
2. Ask your employer's payroll team to correct and reissue it.
3. Contact HMRC if your employer will not or cannot fix it.

Never try to alter a P60 yourself: it must be reissued officially. If the error relates to your tax code rather than the figures, our guide on how to check and correct your HMRC tax code walks through the fix.

How to Use Your P60 for a Tax Refund

If your P60 suggests you have paid too much tax, you may be due a refund. Common reasons include:

• You changed jobs during the year
• You were placed on an emergency tax code
• Your income dropped partway through the year
• Your personal allowance was not split correctly across two jobs

Start by checking your HMRC Personal Tax Account or running your figures through our Income Tax Calculator. If it looks like you have overpaid, our full guides on what to do if you've been taxed too much and how to claim a tax refund from HMRC take you through the claim step by step. You can also check your contributions against our National Insurance Calculator.

How Long to Keep Your P60

If you are an employee on PAYE, keep your P60 for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year it relates to. In practice, holding on to them for longer is sensible, because they prove your income and National Insurance record for years to come.

You should keep them longer if you:

• Are self-employed or a company director (keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January filing deadline)
• Apply for mortgages, loans or benefits regularly
• Want a long-term record of your earnings and contributions toward your State Pension

For the full rules on what to keep and for how long, see our guide on how long to keep tax records in the UK. If you are self-employed, our Self-Employed Tax Calculator helps you keep track of what you owe.

Key Takeaways

• A P60 is your year-end summary of pay and tax for each employer.
• You receive it by 31 May each year if you were employed on 5 April.
• It is essential for tax refunds, mortgage and loan applications, and income verification.
• Keep it for at least 22 months, and ideally several years.
• Always check the figures match your final payslip.
• Use our Income Tax Calculator to check whether you have overpaid.

Next Steps

1. Locate your latest P60 and check the figures against your final payslip.
2. Use our Income Tax Calculator to verify your tax.
3. Log in to your HMRC Personal Tax Account to review your record.
4. If you think you have overpaid, follow our guide on what to do if you've been taxed too much.
5. Browse more guides on our Blog.