Electricians tax refund guide
Many electricians are missing out hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds worth of work expenses tax rebates.
The problem is sometimes people who are employed under PAYE don’t know about what is available and don’t submit their claim.
Have you had enough of feeling like you are actually paying to go to work? Just the combination of petrol prices and more new tools is a hefty amount for you to shell out.
It’s not just self employed electricians who can claim tax relief on expenses to do your job. In most cases electricians employed under PAYE can claim back a tax rebate for many of the same items with the only difference being the way in which a claim is made.
What can an electrician claim a tax rebate for?
As an electrician you can have a number of different costs to enable you perform your duties at work.
We list below a number of the most common expenses incurred by electricians:
- All tools used for work. Use our free tool calculator to estimate how much you can claim back.
- Mileage on using your own car or van for getting to work sites. Use the mileage tax calculator to calculate what you could be owed.
- Buying protective clothing or uniforms.
- Laundering your protective clothing or uniform at home.
- Accommodation and subsistence costs if you have to work away from home.
- Union and professional body fees. Many unions have an agreement with the government which gives tax relief for members on their annual fees.
Consider just how many of these factors apply to you…it really adds up doesn’t it?! These are just the most common allowances applicable to electricians.
If you have never made a claim before, a claim can be made for the last 4 years resulting in a nice lump sum of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds.
Electricians tax rebate process
The Tax Office do have a system in place which recognises that you have essential work expenses and entitles you to tax relief on many of them.
If your employer has reimbursed you in full for your work expenses a claim would not normally be necessary as long as your reimbursement has not been taxed.
Your employer may reimburse for some of your costs and what you are reimbursed is taxed along with your salary. In such cases a tax rebate claim is still possible because what you have been paid has been taxed.
How do I claim my electrician tax rebate?
A tax rebate for expenses incurred at work will never be automatically issued; you must make an official claim.
Your claim should be made by either completing:
- A P87 online for a claim worth less £2500 in any one tax year.
Or
- A self assessment tax return for years where your claim is worth £2500 or more or you are already in self assessment for a different reason.
Both forms can be completed and submitted to the tax office online which helps speed up the process. The tax office will then review your claim and repay any overpaid tax usually by BACS to your bank account or by cheque.
