Temporary National Insurance Number

I found the formula!  
My daughter, who is 16, has been completing and submitting several job applications for fairly easy, first time job type jobs. After not hearing back from the majority of them, we both couldn’t wonder if not supplying a National Insurance Number could be the problem. In place of the NI#, she would simply write that a temporary number would be issued by employer, etc., and explain why.
WELL! I phoned back our local Job Centre Plus here in Taunton and spoke to Craig. I explained that I was informed of the process for getting the NI#, but in the meantime, could they issue a temporary. He did and explained what the temporary formula is!
TN (temporary number) followed by the day/month/year of birth (two digits) followed by an A:
TN110266A (TN 11th of February 1966 A)! Easy Peasy!
Melissa  

Yep, that is indeed the formula. I've had to use it for people I've hired in the past, but I'll tell you what I've told them:
Get your real NI number as quickly as possible because with a temp you'll be put into the highest tax code they can manage. The good news is that once you've given your employer your real number you'll get some money back.

correct me if I am wrong, but the last letter of the number is actually the first letter of your last name.  For instance mine ended with a W, for Wood.

biggest_apple - do you have to wait until the end of the tax year to get the money back?

glasgow-girl - Craig on the phone told me just to use A. Wonder if I should call him back

Saddly, I don't think you can claim it back.   :-/

elle mentioned she never got hers back.

This was why I got my NI number BEFORE I started working.

Wish I could :-/ They told me again yesterday that they will not even start the process until I have a job

elle mentioned she never got hers back.

This was why I got my NI number BEFORE I started working.

Yea, I always did feel a bit shafted by that.  Shortly after I got my NI number I got a letter from the Inland Revenue telling me what tax band I have been put in and why and a little booklet explaining how they determined the taxes I would pay, etc.  It was informative albeit a bit depressing.  For those that got money back I'm envious!  Just didn't happen with me and my taxes only went down by maybe £1-£2.

Wish I could :-/ They told me again yesterday that they will not even start the process until I have a job

If I were you, I'd ask to speak to someone higher up, I have read their guides, you can apply if you're actively looking for a job and can show this in some sort of proof, I'll check again. At the same time, if you're applying for child tax credit as a couple, you will have to apply, regardless of your employment status.

The reason that they are so difficult to get at times, is because the NIN is a form of identification, and are blackmarket traded, they're just trying to control this.

I'm surprised that you wouldn't get a refund when going from a temp number to a permanent number. Being on the employers end and doing payroll, I don't know why they wouldn't do this.

I certainly got mine back!  4 months worth to be exact.  It was enough to pay for finacee visa and then some.  I would definately check into it if I were you.

I'm surprised that you wouldn't get a refund when going from a temp number to a permanent number. Being on the employers end and doing payroll, I don't know why they wouldn't do this.

I think a good portion of the problem in my own situation is a lazy worker who didn't want to deal with it.

I certainly got mine back!  4 months worth to be exact.  It was enough to pay for finacee visa and then some.  I would definately check into it if I were you.

That's good to hear.

To get the money back, do you go to your employer?  File something with Inland Revenue? Do they send it automatically?  How does that work?

well- this is something I got VERY lucky with- as I read about others troubles- I see it must have been sheer luck!

I worked in this country for over 1/ 1/2 years on a temp NIN.  Foolishly I did not KNOW it was temporary-- I thought that my recruitment agency and employer had taken care of that when I signed on to work!

I found out it was temporary when I was on the phone with Inland revenue this past April- I was just making a gen inquiry about my taxes and the lady says my no was temp-- I said what!

anyway- this is what she told me to do.

1st I had to go to my local "jobcentre" a branch of the Dept for Work and Pensions and apply for a permanent NIN.
THEN I was supposed to call her back when I got it!  Of course it takes weeks to get an appt and then there are weeks of processing time!

so finally in August, I call back to my local Inland Revenue  branch with my new permanent NIN and she tells me to mail in copies of my P60s in with a cover letter stating that I have been wrongly taxed due to an incorrect tax code based on a temp NIN.

so thats what I did!

Believe it or not a mere few weeks later I got a check in the mail from the Inland Revenue for a very nice sum- all back taxes from the 1 1/2 years I was taxed at the high rate!!!

SO- just FYI- it IS POSSIBLE to get all that overpaid tax back!

Now that I am back at work very part time after my maternity leave I really havent noticed a difference in my monthly taxes- my hours are so reduced - but I am very happy that I got that taken care of and cant stand that someone can just be wrongly taxed like that on and on indefinitely- no one will tell you!!  it really is a pretty unfair system.

But on the bright side-- to those out there who feel they have been overtaxed due to an incorrect tax code- first get a NIN and then start writing letters into your Inspector of Taxes- it cant hurt and it jsut might pay off!!