Uniform Tax Rebate: Are You Entitled?

According to statistics 2 in 3 employees who wear a uniform at work are entitled to a tax rebate. However, thousands of people are unaware of this fact and are losing out. The good news though, is that you may be able to claim back for the past four years.

Maybe you are a nurse, airline steward or work in the hospitality or retail industry and wear a uniform or protective clothing as part of your job. If you do and you have to wash it yourself, you may be due a tax refund from HMRC, and we all like to get one back on the tax man, don’t we!

Are you Eligible to Claim?

To be able to claim tax relief, ALL of the following must apply:

You wear a recognisable uniform that shows you’ve got a certain job, like a branded T-shirt as a gas installer.
Your employer requires you to wear it while you’re working.
You have to purchase, clean, repair or replace it yourself. However, you can’t claim if your employer washes your kit, provides facilities to do so (even if you don’t use them) or pays you for doing this maintenance.
You paid income tax in the year you are claiming for.

How Much Can You Claim?

The amount you’re able to claim tax relief on depends on your industry. The standard flat rate expense allowance (FREA) for uniform maintenance is £60 (for 2015/16) – so basic-rate taxpayers can claim £12 back (20% of £60), and higher-rate payers £24 (40% of £60). The £60 is a flat rate, so you don’t need to record and report the individual amounts you spend.

How Do I Claim?

Simply inform the tax office and once you’ve registered, your tax code will change, so you’ll be taxed less in the future. However, if your employer has paid back your expenses, you can’t claim tax relief.