In this section:
- Checking your tax credits award notice
- How your tax credits entitlement is worked out
- Tax credits for short periods - how to work out your entitlement
- Tax credits questionnaire - find out how much you can get
Tax credits questionnaire - find out how much you can get
Using this calculator will help you to find out roughly how much tax credits you might be entitled to.
Before you start
Before you start, it's a good idea to have the following information to hand:
- details of your own and your partner's (if you have one) income - your P60 for the year ended 5 April 2009 would be ideal
- details of any benefits you are claiming, or have just stopped claiming
- your usual working hours
- the average amount you spend each week on childcare
If your income is likely to be lower this year than for last year
- If your income for this tax year (6 April 2009 to 6 April 2010) is likely to be lower than last tax year’s, type in an estimate of this year’s income instead into the calculator.
- When you make your actual claim, you must enter last year’s income on the form. This is because your first tax credits award is always based on your previous year’s income.
Once you’ve got your Award Notice, tell the Tax Credit Office straightaway if your income goes down. They will use this new figure to re-work your tax credits
If you pay childcare costs
If your childcare costs vary from week to week, do not use the worksheet provided with the calculator. You can get help with working out your average weekly costs instead by:
- calling the Tax Credit Helpline on Tel 0845 300 3900 or textphone 0845 300 3909 - if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment
- going to the guide ‘Childcare costs - how to work them out to claim tax credits’
Childcare costs – how to work them out to claim tax credits
Your results
This calculator will give you an idea of how much you should be entitled to, based on the information you give.
The figure you see will be the amount you could get between today's date and 5 April 2010. Although you will see your result as a lump sum, this will normally be paid in instalments every four weeks.
Once you've filled out the claim form, if you qualify, we will send you an award notice telling you what your payments will be.
The calculator should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete.
