## Getting Your Interest Without Tax Taken Off

This Helpsheet is for you to use and keep Please do not give or send it to your bank, building society or your HM Revenue & Customs office.

Almost everyone who lives in the UK is allowed to earn or receive income of at least £156 each week before tax has to be paid. If your income is below this limit and you have money in a bank or building society account which earns interest, you may be paying tax when you don't have to.

To find out if this applies to you (or to an account you look after for someone else), please read this helpsheet and answer the questions. 

If you do not live in the UK continually, different rules may apply to you. Please phone the helpline to find out more. 

Children under 18
Children get tax-free income too. But if money given by a parent produces interest of more than £100 a year, the interest will be treated as the income of the parent that gave them the money.

First, work out your tax-free allowance
Your age on 5 April 2013
Annual allowance
Weekly allowance 
under 65
£8,105
£156
65 to 74
£10,500
£202
75 or over
£10,660
£205
From the table above, enter the annual allowance that applies to you in box 1
Married Couple's Allowance 
Were you, or the person you are married to or in a civil partnership with, 
born before 6 April 1935?
If neither of you were born before this date you are not entitled to 
Married Couple's Allowance and you should move on to the next box.
If one of you was born before this date and:
- you are a married man who married before 5 December 2005, or 
- you are the spouse or civil partner with the higher income and you 
married or formed a civil partnership on or after 5 December 2005, 
you may be entitled to Married Couple's Allowance and you should, for 
the purpose of completing this form only, enter £5,208 in box 2.

This is an approximate figure that will help you to decide whether you can complete form R85. If you are later required to make a Self Assessment return or if you make a claim for repayment of tax, we will need to calculate your tax precisely.

Blind Person's Allowance
Are you registered blind with your local authority or completing
this form for someone who is registered? If yes, enter £2,100 in box 3. 
If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, your local authority may not 
keep a register. If this applies to you, please phone the helpline.

## Total Tax-Free Allowances

Add together the amounts in boxes 1, 2 and 3. Enter the total in box 4.

This rule does not apply to money given by others, including grandparents. For more information go to www.hmrc.gov.uk or phone the helpline.

Looking after an account for someone else?

If you look after an account for someone, perhaps a child under 16 or someone who can't manage their own money themselves, use their details (including their address) when you complete the form. For more information, please read the declaration on form R85 Getting your interest without tax taken off.

Paid too much tax in earlier years?

If you've paid tax on your interest in the past, but now think you should not have done please phone us on **0845 366 7850**.

You have up to four years after the end of each tax year to claim tax back. For example, if you wish to claim tax back for the tax year 2008–9 you have until 5 April 2013 to claim it back. 

Box 1 £
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Box 2 £
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Box 3 £
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Box 4 £
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Turn the page to work out your annual income Your annual income If you are not sure what counts as income, please go to our website or phone our helpline on **0845 980 0645**. 

If you are not sure whether income from your National Savings and Investments (NS&I) should be included, please go to the NS&I website at **www.nsandi.com** or phone the helpline. 

Annual amount
State Pension - your weekly entitlement x 52 
Do not include any Pension Credit or any State Pension lump sum
Other pensions for example, from a previous employer Pay from employment or profits from working for yourself
Jobseeker's Allowance and taxable Incapacity Benefit
Do not include any Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit or any payments of
social security benefits such as Child Benefit or Attendance Allowance
Interest from banks and building societies - include the amount before tax 
was taken off. This is the gross amount of interest. Do not include ISA interest.
If you have a joint account, only include your share 
Other taxable income - you should include company dividends.
You should not include Student Loans
Total annual income
Enter your total income in box 5

## Getting Your Interest Without Tax Taken Off

Is the figure in box 5 less than the figure in box 4 on page 1?
Yes
No
If Yes, please complete form R85 and hand it to your bank or building society. 
You will then receive your interest without tax being taken off. 
If No, please do **not** complete form R85 as you are not eligible to receive interest in this way.

Form R85 Getting your interest without tax taken off If you calculate that your annual income is lower than your tax-free allowances you should complete form R85
Getting your interest without tax taken off, which came with this helpsheet.

By completing form R85 you are telling your bank or building society that you do not have to pay tax. 

If your income goes up and that means that you should start paying tax, you must tell each bank or building society with whom you have an account. It is not their responsibility to check that the information you have given on form R85 is true or up-to-date. Please note however that we may check the information you have given.  
If you open a new account you will need to complete another form R85. 

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Box 5 £
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If your bank or building society has already taken tax off your interest in this tax year 2012–13, which runs from 6 April 2012 to 5 April 2013, they may be able to repay it to you. 

## Helpline 0845 980 0645

Typetalk is available using prefix number 18001
For our opening hours go to **www.hmrc.gov.uk** or phone us.

Further information If you need help or further information about getting interest without tax taken off, please phone the helpline. 

We can provide this helpsheet or form R85
in a different format if you ask us to.

For example, Braille, audio or large print.