How to claim tax relief for employment expenses

In the majority of cases, if you incur expenses during your employment, you will be able to claim these back from your employer. However, there are some cases where an employer may not reimburse you, so it is possible to claim tax relief.

Relief for qualifying expenses

To make a claim, an expense must be qualified in the form of a travel expense or something which was necessary for you to carry out your job role. The test to see if a claim is qualified is strict, so you should double check that any claim you make is warranted.

Travelling costs

Many employees have to pay unavoidable travel expenses whilst carrying out their role. Relief is not available for standard commutes to the same place of work, however there are exceptions if you have been asked to work at another location temporarily. If your employer is not agreeing to meet the cost of your business journey, it may be possible to claim tax relief. Examples would be travelling to an out of office meeting or visiting a necessary event. Tax relief can be claimed on a variety of costs such as parking, public transport fees, accommodation, food, drink or toll road fees.

Subscriptions and membership fees

Many employees choose to join a professional body and in most cases there are subscription costs associated with this. There are some employers who will not be happy to meet the cost, but you are entitled to claim tax relief if the membership aids you in the position.

Home working

If your role involves working from home, you can claim tax relief on any costs you incur as a result of this. This works in a similar way to self-employed people who choose to base themselves at home. So, you can claim for any additional utilities charged as a result of the additional time you spend at home.

How to claim

To make a claim for tax relief the process is quite straightforward. You will need to complete a self-assessment tax return, but if the amount is for less than £2,500, you are able to make a quick claim using an online P87 form. For more information or assistance, please contact us today.

Get in touch with our Tax Partner Robin Stevenson to see how you might benefit:

Robin Stevenson - Tax Partner

Email: robins@swindellsaccounting.co.uk

Tel: 01825 763 366