Holiday pay & your HMRC app

Lesson 11 of 16 in our free Work, Payslips & Tax guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.

This lesson is in the full version.

Free with a code from your uni, college, council, landlord or employer (worth £600/year). Lesson 1 of Work, Payslips & Tax is free for everyone.

Questions you'll answer

Mo works 4 days a week, every week. How many days of paid holiday a year (statutory minimum)?

Dex says: 'Holiday pay is just a bonus, they can skip it if business is slow.' What's actually true?

Check your current tax code → Yep. Front and centre. Check it every new job.
See your National Insurance record and number → Yep. Including any gaps.
Get a discount on a meal deal → Nah. Sadly not. HMRC's perks are mostly existential.
See your income and tax for previous years → Yep. Handy for refunds and proving income.
Pay a 'refund release fee' to an agent → Nah. That's not a thing. It's a Ronnie thing.
Fact: “Your employer can refuse a holiday request for specific dates.” — They can, with notice — but they can't stop you taking your entitlement at all.
Fact: “If you leave a job, you can be paid for holiday you've built up but not taken.” — Untaken statutory holiday gets paid out when you leave.
Myth: “The HMRC app costs money to download.” — It's free. Anything charging you to 'access HMRC' is a scam.