P60: Why it’s important (a nanny’s guide)

A P60 is a certificate you get once a year from each job you hold on 5 April. It totals up your gross pay and the tax/NIC you’ve paid in that job across the tax year. If you had two jobs, you’ll have two P60s. If you left a job before 5 April, you won’t get a P60 from that employer, you’ll have a P45 instead.

• Your details: Name, address, National Insurance number
  
• Employer details: Name and address (and PAYE reference)
• Tax code: The code HMRC used to calculate your tax
• Totals for the year:
  
  • Gross pay to date
    
  • Income Tax to date
    
  • Employee National Insurance
    
  • Student loan & postgraduate loan deductions (if any)
  • Pension contributions (employee and, where shown, employer)
  • Any statutory pay received (Sick/Maternity/Paternity/Shared Parental/Adoption/Bereavement)

Tip: Your P60 totals should match the year-to-date figures on your final payslip of the tax year.

• Deadline: By 31 May for the tax year that ended on 5 April.
• Format: Paper or digital (both are valid).
• One per job: You’ll get a P60 from each employer you still worked for on 5 April.

• Proves your income for mortgages, rentals, visas, benefits and background checks
• Confirms your tax position so you can spot over- or under-payments
• Helps with future jobs (some families/agencies ask for it as proof of earnings)
• Supports refunds if you’ve overpaid tax or student loan deductions
• Keeps your pension on track (check contributions and resolve gaps quickly)

1. Name & NI number are correct
2. Tax code looks right (e.g., 1257L for many, but yours may differ)
3. Gross pay and tax/NIC to date = your final payslip’s year-to-date totals
4. Student loan/postgrad loan deductions look reasonable for your plan
5. Pension deductions match what you expected (and letters you received)

Something’s off? Email your employer (or their payroll team) quickly, fixes are simplest before 31 May.

• P60 = Year-end summary from a job you still hold on 5 April
  
• P45 = Given when you leave a job mid-year (hand it to your next employer)
• P11D = Shows benefits-in-kind (e.g., private medical insurance) if you receive any
• Payslip = Given each payday, shows that period’s pay and deductions

1. Ask your employer/payroll (sometimes it’s in a portal or went to spam).
2. Check HMRC: Your Personal Tax Account (via gov.uk or HMRC app) shows pay/tax info.
3. If still stuck, contact HMRC with your details and the employer’s PAYE reference if you have it.

Yes. If your tax code was wrong, you changed jobs, or had gaps in work, you might have overpaid. Your P60 gives HMRC the exact totals they need to calculate a refund. Keep your P45s and final payslips too. They help explain mid-year changes.

• Your P60 shows student loan and postgrad loan deductions taken through PAYE.
• If you paid too much (e.g., paid the balance in full but deductions continued), your P60 + payslips are your proof when you contact the Student Loans Company.

• If you were auto-enrolled, your P60 will reflect contributions.
• Check the scheme name (usually shown on payslips/letters) and make sure contributions are showing as expected—this protects your retirement savings and helps fix issues fast.

Keep it for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year; many nannies keep P60s for several years because lenders/visa offices often ask for historic proof of income.

I have two part-time families—do I get two P60s?
Yes—one from each employer you still worked for on 5 April.

I’m self-employed as a babysitter too—do I get a P60 for that?
No—self-employed income goes on your Self Assessment tax return. P60s are only for PAYE employment.

I changed jobs in February. Will I get a P60 from the old family?
No—you’ll have a P45 from them and a P60 from any employer you still worked for on 5 April.

My tax code looks wrong on the P60. What do I do?
Check your HMRC Personal Tax Account, update any changes (address/benefits/expenses), and ask your employer’s payroll to apply the new code.

My P60 totals don’t match my final payslip.
Ask payroll to review—small timing differences can occur, but year-to-date figures should align.

1. Email payroll with a short list of what looks incorrect (attach your final payslip).
2. Update HMRC if your tax code is the issue.
3. Keep replies and the corrected document for your records.
4. If needed, ask HMRC about overpayment refunds, your P60 is the key evidence.

• Mortgage & tenancy applications: Lenders/agents trust P60s as official proof of income.
• Visa/immigration: Often requested alongside contracts and payslips.
• Benefits & grants: Confirms income for entitlement checks.
• Future jobs: Some employers ask for proof of previous earnings.

• Wrong tax code (common after job changes)
• Missing pension deductions (auto-enrolment not processed properly)
• Unexpected student loan deductions (wrong plan type)

• Tell your employer if you move house, change name, or update student loan status
• Check your HMRC account at least once a year (it takes minutes and avoids surprises)

• ☐ Received P60 by 31 May
  
• ☐ Details correct (name, NI number, employer)
• ☐ Tax code correct
• ☐ Year-to-date pay, tax, NI match final payslip
• ☐ Student loan/pension totals look right
• ☐ Saved a copy (PDF + cloud/drive)

• On-time P60s you can rely on
• Clear year-to-date payslips so your P60 makes sense at a glance
• Support if your tax code or contributions need updating
• Friendly humans, no call-centre maze

Need help understanding your P60? Ask your employer to loop Lily’s Payroll in. We’ll explain what every line means and make fixes fast.