Question 1

How do I check if my payslip is correct?

Accepted Answer

Enter your gross pay, pay frequency, PAYE tax, National Insurance, and net pay from your latest payslip into our free checker. We compare each figure against HMRC rates for the selected tax year and pay period, then flag any discrepancies with possible reasons and suggested actions.

Question 2

Why might my PAYE tax be wrong?

Accepted Answer

Common reasons include an incorrect tax code, emergency tax being applied, underpayments from previous years being collected via your code, taxable benefits such as a company car, or a mid-year tax code change. Always check the tax code on your payslip matches the one HMRC has on record.

Question 3

What should I do if I’ve overpaid tax?

Accepted Answer

If you believe you have overpaid tax, first check your tax code is correct by logging into your HMRC Personal Tax Account. If the code is wrong, HMRC will issue a refund, usually through your next payslip. You can also write to HMRC or call the Income Tax helpline to request a review.

Question 4

What is an emergency tax code?

Accepted Answer

An emergency tax code is a temporary code used by your employer when HMRC has not yet confirmed your correct tax code. It usually results in higher-than-normal tax deductions because it does not account for your full Personal Allowance. Emergency codes typically end in W1, M1, or X.

Question 5

How accurate is the payslip checker?

Accepted Answer

Our checker uses the same HMRC rates and thresholds published for the selected tax year and pay frequency. It is still an estimate rather than a full employer payroll recreation, so small differences can happen because of rounding, payroll timing, or employer-specific benefit handling. Larger differences usually indicate something worth checking.

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