Any refund of tax/ PRSI/ Tax Credits due from Maternity Leave?

F

fiesta107

Guest
I am currently on Maternity Leave from full time employment. I went on leave in the middle of November with my company topping up the maternity leave so between the two I received my “net amount” between the two for the initial 18 weeks. I then received only the Maternity Benefit for a following 8 weeks. I have been on unpaid maternity ever since.
I have heard from colleagues who have been on maternity leave, the way the company works out the pay means we cannot claim back our tax credits, over paid tax or the amount taxed on maternity benefit.
My normal monthly net pay is €2139.56 (2541.66 gross / 508.33 tax / 338.34 Tax Credit / 181.29 PRSI/ 50.83 Income Levy)
In Feb I received in my bank 5 Maternity Benefit payments (€270 x5=€1350.00) and €1059.55 from work which totalled my net pay of €2139.55. My pay slip shows I was paid net 1059.55 and I was taxed 211.91 on this amount and 338.34 tax credits were used too.
My understanding was the maternity benefit was not to be taxed but by paying my net amount, it has been taxed but my pay slip does not show I have paid the tax.
From the beginning of the year I have been paid 3208.05 by my employer, paid 641.61 in tax and four months of my tax credits of 338.34 a month have been used.
Due to personal circumstances we have decided to move to the UK in October so I will not be returning to work. I am wondering if I would be entitled to any refund of taxes, PRSI or tax credits while I was unpaid.
Sorry for being so confusing! Any advice would be a great help.
Thank you
 
It looks as if your employer is (correctly) only putting the amount they are paying you through your payslips and therefore your tax position is correct and you are not due any refunds.

However, I am a little confused by your claim that you have paid tax of €641 this year. From the figures provided, this will have been wiped out by your tax credits and so the only deductions from your payroll would be PRSI. If you haven't paid income tax, there is nothing to refund.
 
If it is the case that your employer stopped paying you in April then you have a further 4 months of tax credits to use. If you are not returning to work then send your P45 into Revenue with a Form 50 and they will give you the benefit of the four months tax credits.
Sybil
 
Where paye/prsi refunds do arise it is because the employer wrongly taxes the maternity benefit in the first place (i.e. you pay maternity benefit to employer and they tax it and give it back to you). What they have effectively done in your case is to recalculate gross pay so that you end up with the same net.
They have reduced your net pay rather than your gross pay by the amount of the maternity benefit.
What some employers do is take the maternity benefit and then continue paying your normal gross pay and taxing it normally. When this happens, you can claim the paye/prsi back and actually end up better off.
Sybil
 
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