Do I have to pay tax as a student?

Unfortunately, everyone who works has to pay income tax. However, everyone is given something called a 'Personal Allowance' which is not taxed. These Personal Allowance for this year can be found on the Directgov website. 

This means that if you earn this amount or less, you should not be paying tax on your earnings. However, because the allowance is spread across the year, you may be charged when you start earning and may be entitled to a tax refund (see below). If you have two jobs, you will not get any extra Personal Allowance.

Working in the holidays

If you only work in the holidays and think that you will be earning less than your Personal Allowance, you can ask your employer for a P38(S) form, which will mean that you will not have tax deducted from your wages. Not all employers will be able to offer this, as they are not obliged to do this.

How to get a tax refund

If you think that you have earned less than your personal allowance for the tax year, visit http://studenttaxadvice.direct.gov.uk/index.html. This website provides information about taxes and advises how to apply for a refund.