how to get UK refund for emergency tax payment

I was on emergency tax for the first 3 months I worked here. The payroll dept at work told me I would automatically get reimbursed for that overtaxing by the gov't, but it may take a few months.

Is this true or do I need to file something to be reimbursed for my overtaxation?

yes its automatically done in your paycheck.
It only took about 2 months for me.
I dont think theres any other way to get it

If it goes on for a while you'll get a cheque in the post. In my first job here I paid emergency tax for months and months. I ended up getting a refund cheque eventually. When it happened again quite recently I got the refund automatically in my paycheque the following month....

ok, phew. thanks much for letting me know. will probably work out well timing-wise when the refund does finally arrive with having to pay my US taxes. 

If it goes on for a while you'll get a cheque in the post. In my first job here I paid emergency tax for months and months. I ended up getting a refund cheque eventually. When it happened again quite recently I got the refund automatically in my paycheque the following month....

Yeah, I was on emergency tax for 11 months before I realised I was on the wrong code. When my colleague pointed this out to me, I called my tax office and they confirmed that yes, I was on the wrong code and said that if I sent them my P60 and a covering letter, they would adjust it for me.

They said that I would receive a cheque for the 2005-06 refund and that the money from the current tax year (which was 06/07) would be reimbursed in my paycheque. Sure enough, a few weeks later, I received a cheque for almost £1,500 and then I got the tax credited in my paycheques every month from September right through to March the next year.

ok, phew. thanks much for letting me know. will probably work out well timing-wise when the refund does finally arrive with having to pay my US taxes. 

Just to remind you that you probably can't file your 2007 US return until around October 2008 when you've met the 330 day test that will qualify you to claim the foreign earned income exclusion on your 2007 tax return.

If you think you'll owe you can still pay by April 15th.

I do know several people who have not received a refund but I believe this was down to wrong tax code and no one chasing it up one person lost quiet a bit, my wife has never had a problem getting hers back, but you can call the tax office you can get the tax code off your wage slip just to make sure it is being sorted once the new tax year kicks in you could find you have problems. I would call and just find out prior to April 5th 08.

Good luck

Call them.
They are actually very pleasant people.
They were exceedingly nice and efficient when it came to sorting out my emergency tax and a nice fat refund when I moved back to the U.S.

Update:

I called to get refunded for my emergency tax rates. Instead of refunding me money, they are now requiring me to file UK tax forms and no word on the refund.

Will be giving them another call. The documentation isn't clear and last year was my first [partial] year in the UK.

Can anyone recommend a tax advisor in London for foreigners filing UK taxes?

Sigh. Running out of time, too. Forms are due [online] by the end of this month.

I would call the tax office again, you might get someone else but even if not it doesn't sound like you need to fill in a UK tax return.  Normally, they will offset it on your paycheck through PAYE or possibly send you a cheque.

Tax returns are only filled out for specific reasons and many UK taxpayers never fill out a return.  Do any of these apply to you?  There's nothing about having to fill out a return just to correct an emergency tax code.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/need-tax-return.htm

Here's the list from HMRC:
    *   self-employed people (including members of a partnership)
    * company directors (except not for profit organisations)
    * ministers of religion (any faith)
    * people who get rent or income from land and property in the UK (but if you are an employee and this income is less than £2,500 a year a tax return may not be necessary)
    * people who have other untaxed income and the tax due on it cannot be collected though a PAYE tax code
    * people with taxable foreign income, even if they are not normally resident in the UK (this includes non-resident landlords)
    * anyone who receives annually (or can be treated as receiving) income from a trust or settlement, or any income from the estate of a deceased person, and further tax is due on that income
    * trustees and personal representatives (including people who manage the tax affairs of deceased persons)
    * trustees of certain pension schemes
    * names or members of Lloyd's
    * employees and pensioners with more complex tax affairs - see below

 Employees and pensioners with complex tax affairs

You need to fill in a tax return if you:

    * have an annual income of £100,000 or more
    * have annual income from savings or investments of £10,000 or more (before tax)
    * claim against tax for expenses or professional subscriptions of £2,500 or more
    * have untaxed income of £2,500 or more (although some pensioners may be able to pay the tax on this through their PAYE tax code)
    * owe tax at the end of the year that cannot be collected through a change to your PAYE tax code for the following year