Do you wash your uniform?
Do you work from home?
Do you pay membership fees or subscriptions for your job?
HMRC might owe you money back on your work expenses
If you spend your own money on work expenses, HMRC may owe you a tax refund.
You can claim tax relief on various work expenses and, if eligible, HMRC will directly send you any money you are owed.
You can claim it back quickly and easily online with HMRC and, once you have given your details, it takes 15 minutes to make your application.
Which expenses can you claim back?
Claim tax relief on work expenses such as:
- working from home – you can claim a flat rate amount for household costs such as fuel bills or phone calls if you are required to work from home
- uniforms, work clothing and tools
Uniforms
You can claim a flat rate amount for washing your uniform. You are not eligible if you choose not to use your employer’s laundering service. You can also claim for repairing or replacing protective clothing or small work tools .
Professional fees and subscriptions
You can claim tax relief on fees or subscriptions that you pay to approved professional organisations in connection with your job
Buying other equipment
If you must buy substantial equipment to do your work, like a computer, you may be able to claim tax relief on the cost
Please notify HMRC if you change to a job in which you no longer qualify for this tax relief.
How do I make a tax relief claim?
You can find information about tax relief for employees and complete the questionnaire which will tell you if you are due a tax refund from HMRC. If you are eligible and already have a Government Gateway account, you can make your claim immediately.
If you have not set up a Government Gateway account before, you can create one in ten minutes. You will need to provide a: name, email address, password, memorable word, and form of ID (passport, driving licence).
Claiming this way is free and easy and will ensure you are refunded the full amount.
You may have seen adverts for companies that will make tax claims on your behalf. It’s worth understanding how tax agents work, as some end up taking fees over 50% of the tax refund you are owed and may also include an administration charge. If you are eligible to make a claim and are interested in appointing a tax agent to act on your behalf, make sure you choose an agent carefully. You can do the claim yourself for free.
Extra HMRC support
To help you confirm whether your tax affairs are in order, HMRC has several online guides to help you understand your taxes:
- understand your tax code better on GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/tax-codes) or watch the YouTube tax code guide
- find out more about the P45, P60 and P11D forms using the workers’ guide
- Sign in or set up your personal tax account, or find out more first by watching the personal tax account YouTube guide
- download the free HMRC app
HMRC is keen to make sure that anyone who may be able to claim tax relief knows about this information.
PAYadvice.UK 23/7/2023