unfortunatlely this is very common, if you are unemployed for a while your old tax record actually expires and HM Revenue and Customs “start again from scratch”. This happened to me in 2002 after i had been unemployed for nearly a year (following the dot-com crash).

Until HMRC get every bit of info they want from your current and previous employers (or the DWP in the case of those who have previously been on giro) you go on emergency tax – you do eventually get the money back but it can take a few months.

And I spent my first pay on some tattoos ive wanted for like… years

One time I got it back in my pay, the other time I had to deal direct with HMRC

I think you can only claim shit back for a tax year that’s completed, but on the 1st of April this year will be so you can go ahead and try!

I found it easiest just to go to the tax enquiry office. I filled in a form and they gave me an appointment time that day…(I lived round the corner though!)

I had all my documents like P 45s P 46s and all the rest, I.D and whatnot…

The nice wifey at my appointment worked out how much I was due back and they sent me a cheque…only trouble was I moved away before the cheque came so I had to get another and the whole process took months!

Normally it should only take 4-6 weeks from the date of your appointment for the cheque to be issued. Found everyone I dealt with to be very competent and courteous which was a small fucking mircale considering that you are dealing with one of the huge monolithic civil service entities…

Best o’ luck….