See exactly what you'll get from PayslipIQ

The figures in this example (fictional)

Tax code

1257L W1

Gross pay this month

£3,200.00

PAYE tax this month

£430.00

NI this month

£172.20

Net pay

£2,597.80

YTD pay (this employment)

£3,200.00

YTD tax (this employment)

£430.00

Pay date

October 2026

What PayslipIQ would flag

Your tax code carries the W1 emergency suffix. Your new employer is taxing each pay period in isolation rather than cumulatively. The result: you’re only being given 1/12th of your Personal Allowance for October, even though you used very little of it earlier in the tax year.

Why it matters

Most people in this position are due a refund of around £400-£900 once HMRC issues a corrected cumulative code (a P6) to your new employer. The refund typically lands in your next pay packet, automatically, without you doing anything.

What to check next

Check your HMRC Personal Tax Account to see whether a P6 has been issued. If it hasn’t after 6-8 weeks of starting your new job, contact HMRC directly. Also check whether your previous employer issued you a P45 - you should have given Parts 2 and 3 to your new employer.

The figures in this example (fictional)

Tax code

BR

Gross pay this month

£2,800.00

PAYE tax this month

£560.00

NI this month

£148.20

Net pay

£2,091.80

YTD pay

£8,400.00

YTD tax

£1,680.00

Pay date

July 2026

What PayslipIQ would flag

Your tax code is BR. BR taxes every penny at the basic rate (20%) with no Personal Allowance. This is normally only correct on a second job. If this is your only job, your code is almost certainly wrong, and you’re paying about £200/month more tax than you should.

Why it matters

On your stated pay (£2,800/month, £33,600 annualised), you should be on 1257L cumulative. The first £12,570 of your annual income should be tax-free. With a full year on BR you’d overpay roughly £2,514 of tax that you’re entitled to get back - either through the cumulative correction once the right code is applied, or through HMRC’s end-of-year P800 reconciliation.

What to check next

Ask payroll, in writing, why your code is BR. If they say "that’s what HMRC sent us", ask them to share the P6 notification reference. If the issue is at HMRC’s end (e.g. they think you have a second job that you don’t), call HMRC to correct it.

The figures in this example (fictional)

Pay frequency

Weekly

Basic hours paid

37.5 hrs

Overtime hours paid

0 hrs

Gross pay this week

£487.50

Tax code

1257L

PAYE tax

£11.25

NI

£17.20

Net pay

£459.05

What PayslipIQ would flag

You told us you worked 12 hours of overtime in the period covered by this payslip. We can see only your basic 37.5 hours - the overtime line is empty. We can’t see whether the overtime is missing because of a payroll cut-off date, an unsubmitted timesheet, or an oversight by your line manager.

Why it matters

At a typical 1.5x overtime rate, 12 hours could represent about £234 of gross pay (£117 net after tax) that’s either delayed or lost. The fix is usually a single email to payroll - most missing-overtime cases resolve in the next pay cycle.

What to check next

Check your contract for the cut-off date for overtime to be included in this payslip. Then email payroll with the dates and hours. We have a copy-paste email template in our missing-overtime guide.

The figures in this example (fictional)

Tax code

1257L

Gross pay this month

£3,500.00

Pension deduction

£280.00 (8%)

Pension type shown

Auto-enrolment / NEST

PAYE tax

£365.83

NI

£204.20

Net pay

£2,649.97

What PayslipIQ would flag

Your pension deduction is 8% of your gross pay, but your scheme is auto-enrolment / NEST. The statutory minimum employee contribution under auto-enrolment is 5% of qualifying earnings (the £6,240-£50,270 band), not 8% of gross. Either your employer offers an enhanced scheme (good news - they’re contributing more than the minimum) or the 8% is on the wrong basis.

Why it matters

If 8% is correct because of an enhanced scheme, no action needed - you’re building a bigger pension pot than the minimum. If 8% has been applied in error (e.g. the wrong contribution rate after opting into matched contributions), you’re losing £73/month of cash you didn’t intend to sacrifice.

What to check next

Check your pension scheme’s "key features document" or "member booklet". It will state your contribution rate and the basis (qualifying earnings vs full salary vs band earnings). Match that against your payslip. Also check whether you opted into an enhanced rate at any point.

The figures in this example (fictional)

Tax code

1257L

Gross pay this month

£2,400.00

Plan shown on payslip

Plan 1

Student loan deduction

£12.00

PAYE tax

£196.83

NI

£108.20

Net pay

£2,082.97

What PayslipIQ would flag

You started university in or after September 2023 in England or Wales - which means you should be on Plan 5, not Plan 1. The two plans have different repayment thresholds: Plan 1 has a higher monthly threshold (£26,065 annual, so monthly £2,172), Plan 5 has a lower one (£25,000 annual, so monthly £2,083). On Plan 1, your £2,400/month gross triggers a small £12 deduction; on Plan 5 the deduction would be £28.

Why it matters

You’re currently under-deducting £16/month. The Student Loans Company will eventually reconcile this, and you’ll owe the back-deductions. More importantly: payroll using the wrong plan can mean future months’ deductions don’t reflect your actual loan, and you may not realise the under-deduction is accumulating.

What to check next

Confirm with the Student Loans Company which plan you’re actually on (sign in at student-loans.service.gov.uk). Then ask payroll to update your plan. The change usually applies from the next pay cycle.