Where to find your P45 (and what to do if you've lost it)

Where to find your P45

What it looks like

A form from your employer in parts: Part 1A for you to keep, and Parts 2 and 3 for your new employer. It shows your leaving date, total pay and tax from 6 April to that date, your tax code and your National Insurance number.

If you've lost it

• You can't get a replacement P45, including one that was sent but never arrived.
• Fill in a starter checklist and give it to your new employer instead.
• For the pay and tax figures, use your personal tax account or the HMRC app, which show the last 5 tax years.

What to do with each part

With a paper P45, give Parts 2 and 3 to your new employer and keep Part 1A for your own records. Your new employer uses the P45 to work out how much tax to take from your pay.

If you're not working and you're claiming taxable benefits, give your P45 to Jobcentre Plus.

If you haven't had a P45, you might pay the wrong amount of tax at your new job, so ask your previous employer for it or use the starter checklist.

If your P45 is wrong

If the pay or tax figures are wrong, ask your previous employer for an amended P45. If you can't get one, tell HMRC through its Check your Income Tax online service and HMRC will contact the employer.

If the tax code is wrong, still give the P45 to your new employer: HMRC should correct your code automatically after your first pay. If your personal details are wrong, fill in a starter checklist and give it to your new employer with the P45.

P45 or P60?

You get a P45 when you leave a job. You get a P60 from the employer you're working for on 5 April, by 31 May. If you left part-way through the year, your P45 shows your pay and tax with that employer up to your leaving date, and that employer won't give you a P60.