I am retired now, after over 30 years in the Inland Revenue, and I remember how at this time of year we had hundreds of requests to check P60s. Most of us on PAYE have fairly straightforward tax affairs but have no idea whether we are paying the right amount. I have developed a simple calculator which works on Microsoft Excel for you to check your P60 yourself. If you would like
me to send it to you, just send me a blank email headed P60 Check.
If you would like me to do the calculation for you, please send me the following details:
FROM P60:
Gross taxable pay for the year
Total tax paid for the year
Code number used
If you have any other questions about PAYE, I will do my best to help

That's an excellent offer M4gg1c, I'll be sending my details as soon as I get my P60, thank you.

You're welcome Will - I hope others will take up my offer, too. The taxman isn't always an ogre!

I can't work out your tax returns here. Have only sent one in since I arrived because I hadn't done a full year and even then someone did it for me. Though can't think of anything I could claim for

There isn't much anyone CAN claim for these days Shizara! - not on PAYE at any rate. As I said, most people working for an employer, have quite straightforward tax affairs, and it is easy to check whether your employer has deducted the correct amount of tax from you. Very few people have to fill out tax returns, either (but you may be different if you are not a British citizen).

Ah... Well, that's where it becomes interesting, you see, I am a British Citizen. As a first generation New Zealander of English parentage I am able to have a British Passport as well - subject to proving this of course. Without that, as I am over 27, I would find living and working here extremely difficult. Within days of arriving here I had a job. My Daddy trained me well when he said.. "The world doesn't owe you a living you have to earn it."

I have to say though, it took me a while to get my head around paying two lots of tax. PAYE and NI. NZ has a very different system. When I left it was .20 cents in the dollar tax. You paid to go to the dentist or doctor but depending on combined househould income levels you might be able to qualify for a Community Services Card which gave varying levels of contribution towards medical care.