The tax year is officially over, which means the 31 May P60 deadline is on the horizon. While managing year-end payroll can feel like a daunting task, staying compliant doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming.
Here’s our checklist to help you follow all the key steps and avoid any fines from HMRC for late filing.
Before the 31 May deadline: your P60 checklist
To avoid fines, you must provide a P60 to every employee who was working for you on the last day of the tax year (5 April). Here’s what you need to do before the 31 May deadline:
- finalise your payroll – make sure all pay, tax, National Insurance contributions, student loan, and statutory deductions for the tax year ending April 5, are accurately recorded
- generate the documents – create P60s using your payroll software or HMRC’s basic PAYE tools (for businesses with fewer than 10 employees)
- distribute securely to staff – deliver the P60s to eligible employees before 31 May
- don’t forget yourself – if you run a limited company and draw a salary, you must issue a P60 to yourself. Sole traders don’t draw salaries and don’t need a P60
What is a P60?
A P60 (end of year certificate) is an official document given to employees at the end of every tax year. It provides a definitive summary of their total earnings and the deductions taken from their pay between 6 April 2025 and 5 April 2026.
It states an employee’s:
- total gross pay earned in that tax year (from their current job, plus any previous employment in that same tax year)
- total income tax deducted through PAYE
- National Insurance contributions paid
- other deductions, such as student loan repayments or statutory pay (maternity, paternity, or sick pay)
Employees need their P60 as formal proof of income when applying for mortgages, loans, or tax credits –and to check if they’ve overpaid tax and are owed a refund.
And the deadline for giving a P60 to all your employees is always 31 May, following the end of the financial year.
How to issue P60s
You can issue P60s either digitally or physically. If you have an accountant, they’ll typically handle this for you. If you manage your own payroll:
- digital – you can generate these via your payroll software and email them directly to your staff. Just make sure all digital P60s are password-protected to secure employee data
- paper – if you need physical copies, you can’t just print them on plain paper. You must order official P60 forms directly from HMRC. Order these well in advance, as they take at least seven days to arrive
How to correct mistakes on a P60
If you realise you made a mistake on an employee’s P60 after issuing it, you must correct it immediately.
Issue a new P60 and clearly label it ‘replacement’, or give your employee a formal letter confirming the exact changes to their figures.
Fines for missing the P60 deadline
If you miss the 31 May deadline, issue your pending P60s as quickly as possible. The longer the delay, the more likely you are to be fined.
HMRC can charge an initial penalty of £300 for late issuing, plus an additional £60 for every day the document is unissued.
Employee tax refunds
It’s up to the employee to check their P60 figures. If they’ve overpaid tax during the year, they’ll use the P60 you provided to claim a refund directly from HMRC. Taxpayers have four years from the end of the tax year to submit a refund claim.
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