{"id":3471,"date":"2025-08-12T14:14:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T11:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/?post_type=glossary&#038;p=3471"},"modified":"2025-08-12T14:17:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T11:17:28","slug":"emergency-tax-code","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/terms\/emergency-tax-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency Tax Code"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is an Emergency Tax Code?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An emergency tax code is a temporary code your employer uses when they don\u2019t have the right tax details for you. This often happens when you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Start a new job<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Change jobs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have other changes that affect your tax<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Emergency tax codes usually start with the letters <strong>M<\/strong>, <strong>W<\/strong>, or <strong>X<\/strong>. For example: <strong>1257M<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>M<\/strong> \u2013 You\u2019ve just started a new job.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>W<\/strong> \u2013 You\u2019ve changed jobs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>X<\/strong> \u2013 Your circumstances have changed in another way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/blog\/what-is-a-vat-number\"><em><strong>Check out: What is VAT Number and How To Get It?<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re on an emergency tax code, you\u2019ll often pay more tax than you should because HMRC doesn\u2019t have your correct information. To fix this, give your correct tax code to your employer as soon as possible. Once it\u2019s updated, your tax will be adjusted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you stay on an emergency code for the whole tax year, you might have overpaid tax. You can claim it back by completing a self-assessment tax return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why you might be put on an emergency tax code:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>New job<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Job change<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Started claiming benefits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Got a company car<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moved to a different country<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Common Tax Codes in the UK<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1257L<\/strong> \u2013 The most common tax code for 2023\/24. It means you get the standard personal allowance and have one job with no untaxed income, unpaid tax, or taxable benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>D1<\/strong> \u2013 Used if you have multiple jobs or pensions and have already used up your tax-free allowance in your main income. All income under this code is taxed at 45%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1060L<\/strong> \u2013 Means you\u2019re entitled to the standard personal allowance. The \u201c1060\u201d shows your tax-free amount, and the \u201cL\u201d confirms you get the standard allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/blog\/how-much-is-vat-in-uk\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/blog\/how-much-is-vat-in-uk\"><strong>Check out: How Much is VAT in The UK?<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Non-Cumulative Tax Codes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>HMRC might give you a non-cumulative (emergency) code if they don\u2019t have all your details. This often happens if you start a job, change your circumstances, receive certain state benefits, or claim a marriage allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Non-cumulative codes apply only for that pay period (weekly or monthly) and not the whole year. They often end with <strong>W<\/strong> (weekly) or <strong>M<\/strong> (monthly).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Always check your payslip for your tax code. If it\u2019s wrong, get it fixed quickly to avoid overpaying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"menu_order":0,"template":"","letter":[25],"class_list":["post-3471","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","hentry","letter-e"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/3471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/glossary"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/3471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3476,"href":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/3471\/revisions\/3476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"letter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/akaunting.com\/hc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/letter?post=3471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}