Employment expenses

You may be able to claim tax relief if you have to use your own money for travel or things that you must buy for your job and that you don’t use in your private life. This could be things like:

• Uniform, work clothing and tools
• Business mileage
• Travel and overnight expenses
• Professional fees and subscriptions
• Costs incurred when working from home
• Equipment

You can’t claim relief on things you’ve spent money on if your employer has already provided you with an alternative or has paid you back.

If you don’t already fill in a Self Assessment tax return, and your allowable expenses are under £2,500 for the tax year, fill in form P87 and send it to the address on the form.

You must keep records of what you’ve spent, and claim within 4 years of the end of the tax year that you spent the money.

If your expenses exceed £2,500, you will need to complete a tax return in order to claim relief. Your local TaxAssist Accountant would be happy to help you put together your claim and complete your tax return. They can also make sure you’re claiming everything you’re entitled to.

Date published 31 Oct 2014

This article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayer’s circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take action as a result of reading this article, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.