Lost Your P60? Here’s Exactly What to Do
HMRC won’t issue a replacement P60, but you can access your pay data online. If you know how much you earned you can then create a P60 document with our online tool.
Lost your P60? You’re not alone — it’s one of the most common payroll queries we see. The good news is that getting a replacement is usually straightforward. Here’s exactly what to do, in order.
Why you might need your P60 urgently
Your P60 is needed for:
- Mortgage applications — most lenders ask for two or three years of P60s
- Rental references — landlords and letting agents use it to verify income
- Tax refund claims — HMRC uses it to calculate any overpayment
- Visa and immigration applications — the Home Office uses it to verify earnings
- Benefit claims — Universal Credit and other benefits require proof of income
Step 1 — Check your payroll portal
If your employer uses a digital payroll system — Workday, BambooHR, Sage HR, or similar — your P60 is almost certainly available to download right now. Log in to your employee portal and look under documents or pay history. This is the quickest option and takes about two minutes.
Step 2 — Ask your employer
Contact your payroll or HR department and ask for a duplicate P60 for the relevant tax year. Employers are legally required to keep PAYE records for at least 3 years, so they should be able to reissue it. Most will do this without any issue, especially for recent years.
If you no longer work for that employer, contact them anyway — they are still obliged to hold the records and most will help former employees.
Step 3 — Contact HMRC
HMRC cannot issue a replacement P60 — the P60 is always produced by your employer. However, HMRC can provide a statement of earnings showing your gross pay and tax for any year, which is accepted by most lenders and landlords as an alternative.
You can get this three ways:
- Personal Tax Account — sign in at gov.uk/personal-tax-account for instant access
- HMRC app — available on iOS and Android, shows figures by tax year
- Phone — call 0300 200 3300 (Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm)
Step 4 — Create a replacement P60 online
If you have your pay figures — from HMRC, from your employer, or from your own payslips — OS Payroll can produce a professional replacement P60 on genuine HMRC-approved stationery. Free sample before you pay. Delivered as a PDF or printed and posted.
What if you don’t have the figures?
Get them from your HMRC Personal Tax Account first. Then use the free P60 Calculator to check the income tax and NI figures are correct before creating your replacement document.
How long does it take to get a replacement?
| Route | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Payroll portal download | Instant |
| HMRC Personal Tax Account | Instant |
| OS Payroll replacement (PDF) | Within 30 minutes |
| Employer reissue (digital) | Usually same day |
| Employer reissue (paper) | Typically 3–7 days |
| OS Payroll replacement (printed & posted) | 1–3 working days |
Tips to avoid losing it again
- Download and save a digital copy as soon as your P60 arrives
- Back it up to cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox)
- HMRC recommend keeping P60s for at least 4 years
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a replacement P60 from HMRC?
No — HMRC don’t issue P60s. They can provide a statement of earnings showing the same figures, which is accepted by most lenders and landlords as proof of income.
My employer has gone out of business — what do I do?
Contact HMRC via your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk or call 0300 200 3300. They hold PAYE records submitted by all employers and can provide your earnings and tax figures even if the company no longer exists. You can then use those figures to create a replacement P60 with OS Payroll.
Will anyone know my P60 is a replacement?
No. OS Payroll replacement P60s are printed on genuine HMRC-approved payroll stationery with your actual pay data. They do not say ‘replacement’, ‘copy’ or ‘duplicate’.
Can I use payslips instead of a P60?
Sometimes — it depends on who’s asking. Many lenders will accept a full set of monthly payslips covering the tax year as an alternative. However, some organisations specifically require a P60, so it’s worth getting a replacement to be safe.
What tax years can I get a replacement P60 for?
OS Payroll can produce replacement P60s going back over 20 years. We stock genuine payroll stationery for each tax year so the format will match what was issued at the time.
This post is for general information only and does not constitute financial or tax advice. For queries about your specific tax position, contact HMRC or a qualified tax adviser.