P60 vs SA302 at a glance
| P60 | SA302 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets one | Anyone on PAYE payroll at midnight 5 April | Anyone with a Self Assessment obligation |
| Who issues it | Your employer | HMRC, after you file the SA return |
| Issued by | 31 May each year | Same day for online filers, after return submission |
| What it shows | Total pay, PAYE tax, NI, statutory pay, tax code | Total taxable income by source, tax due, payments on account |
| Lender wants it for | PAYE income only | Self-employed, dividend, or multi-source income |
| Cadence | One per employer per tax year | One per Self Assessment tax year |
| Underpinning law | Income Tax (PAYE) Regulations 2003, reg 67[3] | Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005 and the Self Assessment rules |
What if I'm a director paying salary plus dividends?
Bring both. The salary line is evidenced by the P60 from your company's PAYE payroll; the dividend line is evidenced by SA302s for the same tax years. Most lenders cross-check the two. The payslip-for-mortgage workflow on payslipmaker.uk covers the salaried-director PAYE case and does not replace the SA302 for the dividend layer. For the full director context, including NI categories, the salary/dividend split, ERA 1996 s.8 obligations, and what proof lenders accept, see Payslip for company directors.
What if I just switched from PAYE to self-employment?
You have a P60 from the employed year and one year of SA302s. Most lenders want two SA302s, so the application either escalates to a specialist lender or waits for the second SA302 to file. The prior employer's P60 does not bridge the gap. The other direction is easier: current payslips and the latest P60 cover PAYE income going forward, with the last self-employed year's SA302 supplied only if the income remains relevant.
What if I can't get either document?
For a missing P60, the HMRC Personal Tax Account[4] holds Pay and Tax History for the last five tax years; most lenders accept the print-out. The replacement P60 guide walks the steps when the employer is unreachable. For a missing SA302, no document substitutes for filing the Self Assessment return. Lenders verify directly against HMRC, so fabricated figures escalate to fraud review and a CIFAS marker.
Primary sources
- 1.Get evidence of your earnings (SA302) — gov.uk — HMRC SA302 tax calculation and Tax Year Overview for self-assessed income
- 2.P60 — gov.uk — End-of-tax-year certificate issued by employers to PAYE employees
- 3.Income Tax (PAYE) Regulations 2003, regulation 67 — legislation.gov.uk — The P60 end-of-year certificate duty: employer must issue by 31 May
- 4.Personal Tax Account — gov.uk — HMRC Pay and Tax History as the backup route when documents are missing
- 5.FCA Mortgages and Home Finance: Conduct of Business sourcebook (MCOB) — Affordability assessment rules including MCOB 11.6 responsible-lending duty
Editorial process: how we source and review UK tax content.