Free P45 Generator (2026/27)

Generate a P45 for a leaving employee - free and unlimited

When someone leaves a job, the P45 is the document that follows them to their next role. It records their pay and tax for the year so far, their tax code, and the date they left - the information a new employer needs to put them on the right tax code and avoid emergency tax. This free generator produces a clean P45 PDF for your records, with no signup and no per-document charge. It's ideal for small employers and for keeping your own copy of the figures.

What a P45 is for

A P45 is given to an employee when they stop working for you. It's split into parts: one goes to HMRC, and the others go to the employee, who passes the relevant parts to their new employer or keeps them for a tax return or benefit claim. The whole point is continuity - it tells the next employer how much the person has earned and how much tax they've paid so far this year, so their tax can carry on being worked out correctly rather than starting from scratch. Without a P45, a new starter often ends up on an emergency tax code and overpays until things catch up. HMRC's guidance on PAYE forms including the P45 explains where it fits.

What goes on it

A P45 records the employer's name and PAYE reference, the employee's name and National Insurance number, the leaving date, the tax code in use when they left, and the total pay and tax to date for that employment. It also notes whether student loan deductions should continue. Our generator captures each of these and lays them out clearly, building a preview as you type and producing a tidy PDF to download.

Official P45s and real-time reporting

It's important to be clear about what this tool is. Under PAYE, employers report payroll information to HMRC in real time (RTI) every time they pay staff, and the official P45 is produced by payroll software as part of that process and reported to HMRC automatically. This generator creates a P45-style document for your own records and for situations where you need a clear, printable summary - it does not file anything with HMRC. If you run an actual payroll, you'll still use recognised payroll software to report a leaver. For a one-off record, an illustration, or a backup copy, this tool does the job for free.

Why the figures matter to the employee

For the person leaving, the P45 is genuinely valuable. A correct P45 means their next employer can set the right tax code immediately, so they're taxed properly from their first payday. If the figures are wrong - or if they start a new job without a P45 - they may be put on an emergency code and overpay tax until HMRC sorts it out, which can take months. If you've left a job and think you've overpaid, our Check if HMRC Owes You Money tool points you in the right direction, and the Tax Code Checker helps you make sense of the code on your payslip.

For small employers

If you employ even one person, you've taken on payroll responsibilities - running PAYE, issuing payslips, and producing leaving documents like the P45. This generator helps with the paperwork side while you get set up, and complements our Payslip Generator for the regular pay run. Bear in mind that you'll still need recognised payroll software to report to HMRC under RTI; the free tools here are for clear, professional documents and for checking that the numbers look right. For the rules on what you must do as an employer, GOV.UK's PAYE for employers guidance is the place to start.

Keeping leaving paperwork in order

Good records around joiners and leavers save everyone trouble later. Keep a copy of each P45 you issue with your payroll records, give the employee their parts promptly, and make sure the final pay figures are accurate. If the leaver is owed holiday pay or has a final bonus, make sure those are reflected in the pay-to-date figure. A clear P45 issued on time is one of those small professional courtesies that makes a real difference to someone moving between jobs - and it keeps your own records clean too.

The bottom line

The P45 is the handover document that keeps an employee's tax on track when they change jobs. Whether you're a small employer who needs a clear record, or you simply want a printable summary of the leaving figures, this generator produces a professional P45 PDF for free and without signup. Pair it with our payslip generator and tax-code tools, and remember that an actual payroll still reports leavers to HMRC through recognised software.

P45, P60 and P11D - how they differ

It's easy to mix up the main PAYE forms, so here's the quick distinction. A P45 is issued when you leave a job and shows pay and tax to date. A P60 is issued at the end of each tax year to people still employed, summarising the year's pay and tax. A P11D reports benefits in kind like a company car or medical insurance. So if someone leaves mid-year they get a P45; if they're still with you at 5 April they get a P60; and if they received taxable benefits, those go on a P11D. We have generators and calculators across these - including a P11D Generator - so you can produce whichever document the situation calls for.

What an employee should do with their P45

If you've just left a job, hold on to your P45 - you'll usually hand the relevant parts to your new employer so they can set your correct tax code from day one. If you're not going straight into work, keep it safe: you may need it to claim a tax refund, to support a benefit claim, or for your Self Assessment return if you complete one. Starting a new job without a P45 isn't a disaster, but it often means a spell on an emergency tax code and a bit of overpaid tax until HMRC catches up. If that happens to you, our Check if HMRC Owes You Money and Tax Code Checker tools help you put it right.

Common P45 questions

When should a P45 be issued? Promptly after the employee's last pay day - there's no reason to delay it. Can I get a replacement P45? Employers can't reissue an official P45, but they can provide a statement of earnings, and a new employer can use a "starter checklist" instead. This generator is handy for producing a clear record of the figures in such situations. Does a P45 show benefits in kind? No - those go on a P11D. What if the final pay includes holiday pay or a bonus? Make sure it's reflected in the pay-to-date figure so the P45 is accurate.

Payroll responsibilities in brief

Taking on staff means operating PAYE: deducting tax and National Insurance, paying it to HMRC, issuing payslips, and producing forms like the P45 and P60. It sounds heavy, but with recognised payroll software much of it is automated, and free tools like this one help with the documents and checks around the edges. If you're a new employer finding your feet, pair this with our Payslip Generator for the regular pay run, and read GOV.UK's PAYE for employers guidance for the full picture of what's required. The key thing to remember is that the official reporting to HMRC happens through payroll software under RTI - these tools are for clear records and sanity checks.

Privacy and accuracy

This generator runs entirely in your browser - the details you enter build the P45 on your device and aren't stored or sent to us, which is why no signup is needed. Because it's a record-keeping and illustration tool rather than a link to HMRC, treat the figures as the ones you've entered: the official P45 and the report to HMRC come from your payroll software under RTI. For a one-off record, a clear printable summary, or a backup copy of the leaving figures, though, it does exactly what's needed, free of charge and without limits.

The bottom line

When an employee moves on, the P45 keeps their tax on track into the next job - and for the employer it's a clean record of the leaving figures. Whether you're a small business that needs a tidy document or you simply want a printable summary, this generator produces a professional P45 PDF for free and without signup. Use it alongside our Payslip Generator for the pay run and our Tax Code Checker to make sense of codes, and remember that an actual payroll still reports leavers to HMRC through recognised software.

One final point: accuracy on the leaving figures matters as much as issuing the form promptly. Double-check the pay-to-date and tax-to-date totals, confirm the tax code and whether it's on a Week 1 / Month 1 basis, and make sure any final holiday pay or bonus is included. A P45 that's both timely and correct is a genuine kindness to a departing employee - and it keeps your own payroll records clean for the year-end.

Who should use this generator

A P45 is issued when an employee leaves, recording pay and tax to the leaving date. It matters because the new employer uses it to apply the correct cumulative tax code — without it, the employee usually goes onto an emergency code and over-pays until HMRC corrects it.

Employers must provide one without unreasonable delay. Employees starting without a P45 should complete the HMRC starter checklist instead, which gets them onto a sensible code far faster than waiting.

What this generator assumes

• The P45 records pay and tax deducted to the leaving date in the current tax year.
• The tax code at leaving is carried forward for the new employer.
• Parts 1A, 2 and 3 serve different recipients — employee, and new employer.
• Figures are cumulative for the tax year to date.

Limitations — what it does not cover

• RTI reporting. The leaver must also be reported to HMRC through payroll — issuing the P45 alone is not enough.
• Payments after leaving, such as a final bonus, which are taxed under specific rules and not shown on the P45.
• The starter checklist, used where no P45 is available.
• Student loan and postgraduate loan flags, carried separately.
• Redundancy payments, which have their own treatment and the £30,000 exemption.
• P60s, issued to those still employed at year end.