Some employees are able to claim tax relief on work-related expenses if their employers have not already reimbursed these.
This can include items such as:
- work clothing and uniforms, including a laundry allowance
- any equipment required for their work
- professional fees and subscriptions (such as membership to professional bodies)
- using their own vehicles for work travel (not including the usual home to work commute)
- costs of working from home, if there is no other option
The gov.uk site has guidance on who can claim and what for. You’ll first need to set up a Government Gateway login, if you don’t already have one, and from there the process is relatively simple.
However, if you were to use a search engine, the Government’s own site might not be the top result. There are many claims companies, offering to help you claim the tax relief. These companies also advertise widely on social media, with a simple ‘click here’ to begin the process.
The claims companies will liaise with HMRC on your behalf, as your ‘agent’ and arrange any reliefs you might be eligible for. As you might expect, the claims companies charge, for their ‘help’, often taking a percentage of the tax reclaim before passing it on to you.
HMRC are urging individuals to apply directly themselves, online or, if by post, by form P87 only, as the information required is exactly the same as they would need to provide to the claims company in any case.
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