HMRC offers a little-known opportunity for UK workers to claim tax relief, potentially putting £60 back into their pockets every year. This relief is available to individuals who are required to wear a uniform as part of their job.
According to Birmingham Mail, many employees fail to take advantage of this simple claim, missing out on money they could be entitled to. In addition to the uniform tax relief, workers may also be eligible for claims on specialist equipment required for their roles. This article explores how you can access these tax breaks and highlights the key steps to claim back money from HMRC.
Tax Relief for Your Work Uniform
If you have a job that requires a uniform, chances are you’re eligible to claim back up to £60 annually. The way this works is that the tax relief compensates you for the cost of purchasing, cleaning, and maintaining your uniform. According to Lee Murphy, Managing Director of The Accountancy Partnership, the rules are actually quite generous:
You don’t have to be an accountant to benefit from these types of tax reliefs; you just need to know exactly what you can claim.
You can either claim the exact amount you’ve spent on the items or use a flat rate expense, which in the case of uniforms is typically £60. This £60 is a standard, simplified amount that HMRC offers, regardless of whether you spent that much on your uniform. If you claim this £60 under the basic tax rate of 20%, you’ll pay £12 less in tax each year. It might not sound like much, but over time, it adds up.
Additionally, workers can make claims for up to four years of backdated tax, meaning if you’ve missed out on this tax relief in the past, you can still claim money for previous years. This makes it an excellent opportunity to get a bit of extra cash for something that might have slipped under your radar.
How to Claim Your £60 Back
The process of claiming back the tax relief is pretty straightforward, but many workers don’t know they can even apply for it. First, check if your role qualifies — most jobs that require a specific uniform should be eligible. If so, you can claim the relief either through your annual tax return or by filling out a simple online form on the HMRC website.
Once confirmed, you’re good to go, and HMRC will issue the tax relief. For workers in uniform-related roles, this process is typically pretty easy. Lee Murphy explains:
If you’re in a role that requires you to wear a uniform, then you can claim tax relief back for having to purchase this yourself.
For example, if you’re working in a role that requires you to wear a uniform and you claim the £60 flat rate, you could be eligible for a £12 reduction in your tax bill if you pay tax at the 20% basic rate. This reduction applies year after year.
More Tax Reliefs You Might Be Missing
Beyond uniforms, there are a few other tax reliefs you should keep in mind, especially if you purchase specialist equipment for your job. For instance, if you’re a hairdresser who buys scissors or an electrician who buys power tools, you can claim a tax relief for those expenses as well. On average, workers can claim back between £50 and £100 per year for tools and specialist equipment, as long as there’s no significant private use involved. Murphy adds:
Again, this will vary person-by-person, but on average, we see workers claiming back around £50-100 each year for this.
But be aware that these amounts depend on your individual job needs. If you have to provide your own equipment, it’s a good idea to check if you’re missing out on this tax break.
So, if you’re one of the many workers who need to wear a uniform or buy specialized tools for your job, it’s time to take advantage of these tax reliefs. Whether it’s the £60 for your uniform or a few pounds for your work tools, every little bit helps. As Murphy says:
These are the five most common tax reliefs we see people forget about, and some people can get hundreds of pounds back per year that they’ve been missing out on.
