Tax Refunds For Healthcare Workers
If you work in the Healthcare sector whether for the NHS or a private healthcare company, you may be entitled to claim tax relief on certain work related expenses.
Whatever your healthcare role is, you might be able to claim back costs such as washing your uniform or upkeep/mileage on your vehicle. If you have paid union or other subscription fees to HMRC approved organisations like the NMC, HCPC or GPhC or the RCN or Unison, these payments could make you eligible for a government tax rebate.
The PAYE system takes tax out of your earnings before you get them. However, a lot of the “hidden” day-to-day expenses of doing your job actually qualify you for tax relief. We are here to help you claim these expenses back. These “tax deductible” costs include certain types of work travel, professional subscriptions and even cleaning, repair or replacement of equipment or uniforms.
Here are some of the most common tax deductions for healthcare workers:
- Car Expenses
- Travel
- Clothing
- Education and training
- Certificates and checks
- Consumables
- Working from home expenses
- Mobile phone and internet bills
- Computer equipment
- Tax Accountant
We will look into a few of these deductions in more detail:
Uniform and Equipment
If you are a healthcare worker (whatever your role), then you may be entitled to claim a tax rebate for the cost of washing, maintaining and replacing your uniform. In addition, NHS and healthcare workers are allowed to claim an additional tax rebate for the cost of shoes and tights.
You can claim a standard, pre-agreed allowance of £12 per year if you are required to wear special types of shoes (eg non-slip) in the workplace. If you are required to wear stocking/tights (or socks for men) of a particular color, then you can claim additional tax relief of £6 per year.
You can choose to either claim
- For what you have actually spent: for this you will need to keep receipts or;
- A flat rate deduction: the set amount fixed by HMRC (see above) for which no receipts are required.
You can claim tax relief for other equipment, tools and assets that you buy for work use in the Health sector. These may include a lap-top or even a desk. The equipment must have been bought specifically for you to complete your job, and you cannot claim for equipment provided by your employer, or if you have been reimbursed for the purchase.
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Union Fees and Subscriptions
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) allow healthcare workers to claim tax relief on certain professional subscriptions or fees which have to be paid in order to carry out a job. This includes our registration fees.
If you pay fees to professional bodies or unions such as: Unison, RCN, NMC, HCPC or SSSC, or if you pay professional indemnity insurance (eg to Medical Protection Society), you can claim tax relief every year on these costs. If you have not done so you can apply for a tax refund with us. HMRC will usually allow you to claim 20% of the cost of these expenses.
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Travel Expenses & Mileage
If, during your work as a healthcare professional you have used your own vehicle for business travel at any point during the last four years, then depending on whether or not your employer reimbursed you for that trip you may be eligible to claim back some tax. The amount will vary.
The law says travel expenses are allowable for tax purposes if:
- You have to make the journeys in the performance of the duties of your employment (this may apply where the duties themselves inherently involve travelling such as a district nurse or midwife); or
- They are journeys which you make to or from a place you have to attend in the performance of your duties (such as trips from your normal work location to visit another workplace). This rule can also include travel directly from your home to visit another workplace (unless the journey is practically the same as the journey from your home to your normal work location, for example, because the other workplace is near your normal work location).
The rules surrounding tax relief and tax refunds say that any location you have worked at for under 24 months can count as a “temporary workplace” for tax purposes and it is this travel to temporary workplaces that is the subject of most tax refund claims.
It doesn’t matter if you are driving your own car or van or using public transport to get there. If you are spending your own money getting to and from the temporary workplace, you could qualify for a government tax refund.
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How Do I Start My Tax Refund?
You should collect together as much information as possible concerning your work as a chef and all the expenses you have incurred. Remember, you can claim expenses for up to four Tax years, even if you have since been made redundant, or changed jobs. This will not affect your current employment in any way or form.
Typical information needed to process your Security Tax refund would include:
- Copies of payslips
- Details of sites you have been located at
- Notes of equipment you specifically have purchased for work reasons
- Contract of employment
- Other information you feel could be relevant to your claim
The most important thing to remember is that the more information we have, the more chance of a bigger Tax repayment. No matter how little or irrelevant you think it might be, we could possibly make a claim for the expense.
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Check if you are due a Tax refund as an Healthcare worker
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