HMRC Tax Refund:
A HMRC Tax Refund is a refund of tax that has been overpaid. This can happen for a number of reasons, one of the main being that you have started a new job and were classed in an emergency tax code for a while. A tax refund is only available to claim for 4 years from the end of the tax year for which you overpaid tax. It is helpful to note that the HMRC must pay interest on any tax refund if the repayment is made after January the 31st. HMRC Tax Refunds are also available if you have overpaid tax under a PAYE or Self Assessment
Every year thousands of UK employees are overcharged by HMRC and miss out on tax rebates by not claiming the correct tax relief’s available for their occupation. It is estimated that 1 in 3 UK employees are due a tax rebate from HMRC. OCC allows you to quickly review your prospect of a rebate and thereafter process online directly to HMRC for a potential claim and refund.
Teachers & Assistants
Teachers and other education professionals can claim tax relief on costs such as professional subscriptions and other work-related expenses.
Depending on your circumstances, claims can be backdated to cover the last 4 tax years, so don’t miss out on what you are entitled to.
- PROFESSIONAL FEES & SUBSCRIPTIONS
You can claim tax relief on fees and subscription costs to many unions and professional bodies including NUT and NASUWT. HMRC maintain an approved list of professional organisations that are eligible for relief.
The amount available to claim back will vary depending on the agreement that is in place with your particular organisation. They will be able to inform you of how much tax you can claim back.
If you previously paid fees to a General Teaching Council, you can also claim tax back on this cost. Tax can be claimed back on all UK General Teaching Council Fees, including those that are now obsolete.
If you are eligible for tax relief- this will not be applied automatically, it is, therefore, important that you submit a claim to HMRC.
- UNIFORM TAX REBATES FOR TEACHERS
If you are a Physical education teacher or have to teach/supervise any other sports lessons, tax relief can be claimed on sportswear and equipment that you have purchased yourself.
You may also be eligible to claim an allowance if you have to wash any specialist clothing or uniform. HMRC allow expense deductions for the cost of both maintaining and replacing game kit.
- MILEAGE ALLOWANCE FOR TEACHERS
If you are a teacher who needs to travel to different schools in order to perform your duties, you may be entitled to claim business mileage.
This is not available for general commuting between home and a permanent place of employment, however, if you are a Peripatetic teacher working in more than one school or college you are eligible.
Use OCC to claim back your refund and don’t miss out!
Healthcare & NHS
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If you work in the NHS or private healthcare industry, then you could be eligible for a tax rebate.
Healthcare workers, nurses, midwives and other healthcare employees are a sector that is eligible to claim tax relief for certain expenses they accrue as part of their job. This potential tax relief can add up to hundreds of pounds and can be fully claimed by submitting a claim to HMRC.
OCC software allows you to complete that claim online without paying any fees to a third party, reclaiming all of your rebates.
- UNIFORM CLEANING ALLOWANCE NURSES
If you wear a uniform to work and your employer provides no laundry facilities, you can claim a tax allowance every year for the cost of cleaning your uniform.
The amount you can claim depends on your occupation; the details below list the allowances for some occupations.
Ambulance staff on active services: £140
Nurses, midwives, dental nurses, therapists, healthcare assistants: £100
Orderlies, porters, ward clerks, supply workers, domestic & catering staff: £100
Laboratory staff, pharmacists and pharmacy assistants: £60
Ancillary staff, maintenance workers, ground staff, drivers, parking attendants, security staff, receptionists & other uniformed staff: £60
All this is a flat rate allowance, you don’t need to provide receipts or any proof of the actual cost of cleaning your uniform.
- PROFESSIONAL FEES & SUBSCRIPTIONS
If you pay fees to professional bodies or unions such as Unison, RCN, NMC, HCPC or SSSC, or if you pay professional indemnity insurance (e.g., to Medical Protection Society) you can claim tax relief every year on these costs.
HMRC will normally allow you to claim 20% of the cost of these expenses.
If you use your own car for work, you may be able to claim an additional tax rebate for mileage.
You can claim up to £0.45/mile for each business journey you make e.g., you may be a domestic nurse who visits patients in their own home.
If you receive less than £0.45/mile from your employer, you can claim tax relief on the difference from HMRC.
- SHOE STOCKINGS & TIGHTS ALLOWANCE
You can claim an allowance of £12/year if you are required to wear special types of shoes (e.g., non-slip) in the workplace. If you are required to wear stockings/tights (or socks for men) of a particular colour, then you can claim additional tax relief of £6/year.
Over a number of years this can add up, you can use OCC to check if you are due a rebate.
Police Officers
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If you work for the police force you could potentially be eligible for a tax rebate covering the past 4 years. Police tax rebates refunds average £312.
- FLAT-RATE TAX RELIEF FOR POLICE OFFICERS
Most officers are entitled to claim a special flat-rate tax allowance of £140 every year. If you pay tax at the basic rate (20%), this means you can save £28 per year by claiming this relief. You can also claim this back for the last 4 years, so could potentially receive a cash rebate of £112 if you have not claimed it before.
- THE FOLLOWING RANKS ARE ELIGIBLE
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)
Constable
Sergeant
Inspector
Chief Inspector
(All police officers in the above ran can apply).
This allowance is not just for uniformed officers. You can also claim this allowance irrespective of whether you wear a uniform.
- POLICE FEDERATION & OTHER SUBSCRIPTIONS
If you are a member of the Police Federation (Polfed), you are entitled to claim tax relief on your monthly subscription (presently £21.58/month).
The tax saving per year is calculated at £52, so you can claim a tax rebate of approximately £208 if you have subscribed for the last 4 years and have not submitted a claim.
Also, if you work for the Metropolitan Police, the tax relief for Police Federation is provided at source through your wages so you cannot make an additional tax rebate claim for Police Federation costs.
- FOR OTHER UN-UNIFORMED OFFICERS
If you do not fall into one of the ranks listed above but are required to wear a uniform to work, you can still make a claim. You can also rebate £48 if you claim for the last 4 years, you can only claim if your employer does not contribute towards the cost of cleaning your uniform.
Airline Cabin Crew
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If you work in the airline industry, you could claim a tax rebate of up to £1,000 or more.
- FLAT-RATE CABIN CREW ALLOWANCE
If you work for an airline and your employer does not contribute towards the cost of cleaning your uniform, you are eligible to claim tax rebates from HMRC.
All uniformed employees are entitled to tax relief for uniform cleaning, but the allowance for cabin crew are some of the most generous available.
- UNIFORM CLEANING ALLOWANCE
Cabin crew can generally claim flat-rate tax relief of £720 for the most recent tax year.
Prior to this, it was £420 per year. This allowance is designed to give you tax relief on the cost of cleaning and maintain your uniform.
As this is a fixed allowance for cabin crew, HMRC has confirmed you do not need to provide any recipes or proof of actual expenditure incurred in order to claim.
If you have had to pay for any visas or vaccinations out of your own pocket, we will help you claim tax relief on these expenditures. HMRC will usually allow you to claim up to 20% of such expenses providing your employer has not already reimbursed you.
Uniform Workers
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If you wear a uniform or protective clothing to work, then you are eligible to apply for a tax rebate.
- WHO CAN CLAIM UNIFORM TAX REFUND?
If your uniform contains your company logo or is protective clothing, you can apply for a rebate for the last four years.
- SUCH REBATES ARE AVAILABLE TO:
Retail, Hospitality & Catering staff.
Nurses, doctors, dentists & other healthcare workers.
Police officers.
Airline Staff, cabin crew & pilots.
Public transport: Train drivers, conductors, bus drivers.
Engineers & Mechanics.
Builders, plumbers & Joiners.
Teachers who are required to teach P.E.
And anyone else that wears a uniform to work!
The amount you can claim depends on your job. If claiming for the full four years, the standard rebate for most employees is £48.
- CAN I CLAIM ANYTHING ELSE?
If you wear a uniform to work (e.g., nurses’ attire, police uniform, or even simply a shirt with the company logo) which you have to wash and maintain yourself, you could be eligible to claim a rebate for the last for years of up to £300.
As well as a uniform cleaning allowance, you can claim a tax rebate for most expenses you have incurred as part of your job.
E.g., HMRC will usually allow you to claim back 20% of the cost of any equipment or tools purchased, as well as fees paid to professional organisations such as Unison, NMC, RCN and HCPC.
Mechanics & Engineers
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Regardless of the industry, you work in, if you pay for your own tools, you will be eligible for a tool tax rebate.
This is really handy for those working as mechanics, auto technicians and engineers who could be entitled to a large sum of money back at the end of the financial year.
With average first-time rebates of around £900, you could be lining the taxman’s pockets by not claiming your allowance, so read on to find out how you can claim your tool tax rebate and start thinking about all the things you could spend that cash on.
- HOW MUCH CAN I CLAIM BACK?
The current amount which you can claim back on tools stands at around 20% of the initial purchase value including VAT.
So, if you spend £2,000 on a shiny new high0end toolbox, you can expect to receive £400 back as a tool tax rebate. Not too shabby, is it?
For example:
Jamie has been a mechanic at a fast-fit centre for 4 years. During this time, he has spent £3,600 on hand tools and £1,100 on a toolbox. By making a Capital Allowance claim on his tools, Jamie can expect to receive a tax rebate of around £989. The actual amount will depend on several factors, including the date of purchase and how much tax you have paid through your wages.
You must meet the following basic requirements:
- You pay tax on your wages through PAYE.
- You required to buy your own tools in order to do your job.
- Your employer does not reimburse you for the tools purchased.
- DO I NEED A RECEIPT TO PROVE?
Yes, in order to prove that your claim for a tool tax rebate is all above board, you will need to provide receipts for any tools that you buy through the course of the year.
The good news is that major tool dealers such as Snap-On and Mac can easily print out your full purchase history if you ask nicely! If you buy your tools online, email order confirmations can also be accepted as proof of purchase.
- WHAT IF THE TOOLS ARE ON FINANCE?
Financing the tools mechanics need for their trade is common, and the good news is that no matter how you choose the pay for your tools, you will still be able to claim tax on the full purchase price.
As an added bonus, you will even be able to claim extra tax back on the interest you have paid. Just remember that in order to claim back any interest on financed tools, you will need to be able to provide a copy of your finance agreement- so keep it safe!
- CAN I BACKDATE MY REBATE ON TOOLS IF I HAVEN’T ALREADY CLAIMED?
This is the best bit. If you have never claimed for a tools tax rebate, we can also backdate your claim to make sure you receive everything you are legally entitled to. As long as you can produce the receipts, we can help you get the amount you are owed easily.
- WHAT TYPES OF TOOL ALLOWANCES ARE AVAILABLE?
The Government has set a ‘Flat Rate Expenses’ allowance of £120 for tools for those in the mechanics and auto-technician trade. Don’t worry if you have spent over the amount because there is another way, we can help you get the tool tax rebate you deserve.
The Capital Allowance option means claims over and above £120 are handled a little differently, but you can still claim around 20% of the amount back which can add up if you have purchased multiple tools.
- WHEN AM I NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A TOOL TAX REBATE?
If your employer has reimbursed you for the cost of your tools, you will not be able to claim any rebate on these items as it is your employer who footed the bill for the items.
- IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I COULD CLAIM FOR?
In addition to claiming for your tools, you may also be able to claim a small uniform laundry allowance if you are required to wash your overalls/protective clothing at your own expense.