What is a P60?
A P60 is the end-of-year certificate your employer gives you, showing your total pay and the income tax and National Insurance deducted in that tax year.
What a P60 means
Every employee still working for an employer on 5 April must receive a P60 for that tax year. It summarises your pay, the income tax deducted through PAYE, your National Insurance contributions, your tax code and any statutory payments such as maternity pay. Employers must issue it by 31 May, either on paper or electronically.
A P60 covers one employment. If you had two jobs you will get two P60s, and if you left a job during the year you will have a P45 for that employment instead.
Example
Priya earns a salary of £42,000 with a 1257L tax code. Her P60 for 2026/27 would show:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Pay in this employment | £42,000.00 |
| Income tax deducted | £5,886.00 |
| Employee National Insurance | £2,354.40 |
| Tax code at 5 April | 1257L |
The income tax is 20% of £29,430 (pay above the £12,570 personal allowance). The National Insurance is 8% of £29,430.
Why it matters
A P60 is proof of income. Mortgage lenders and letting agents ask for it, and you need the figures to complete a Self Assessment return if you also have self-employed, rental or dividend income. It is also the quickest way to check you paid the right tax: if the tax deducted looks high against your pay, your tax code may have been wrong.
For company directors on a small salary, the P60 confirms the salary that should match the payroll figure in the company accounts.
P60 vs P45
A P60 covers a full tax year in a job you were still in on 5 April. A P45 is issued when you leave a job and shows pay and tax up to your leaving date, so your next employer can use the right tax code.
If you lose your P60
Ask your employer for a copy, though they are not obliged to reissue the original. You can also see the same pay and tax figures in your HMRC personal tax account, usually from early summer after the tax year ends.
What to check on your P60
Compare the pay figure with your final payslip of the year and make sure the tax code at 5 April is the one you expected. If you changed jobs, the P60 only shows pay from your current employer, so add the figures from your P45 when checking your total. Unusually high tax compared with similar years is worth querying with HMRC.
Cloudkeepers runs payroll for small businesses, including P60s for every employee.
Common questions
By 31 May after the end of the tax year on 5 April. Your employer can give it to you on paper or electronically. If you have not received it by early June, ask your payroll team. Employers that miss the deadline can be fined by HMRC.
You need the figures it contains: total pay and tax deducted from each employment. The P60 is the simplest source. If you do not have it, the same information appears in your HMRC personal tax account.
Yes, if they are paid a salary through PAYE and are still a director on 5 April. A director paid only in dividends has no PAYE pay and so receives no P60. Their P60 covers only the salary, not any dividends.