Do you work in one of the 350 careers in the NHS?
Do you know that most NHS workers are due a work expenses tax rebate?
Most 4 year olds could tell you that “doctors and nurses work in hospitals”, but there is a vast array of different professionals necessary to staff our amazing National Health Service. Perhaps you are one of our crucial local G.P.s or a healthcare worker?
Maybe you are in the fast growing area of Health Informatics, implementing electronic health records or developing essential medical libraries. From pharmacist to art therapist, dietician to radiographer you might any one of the experts we are lucky enough to be able to access. Then there is the essential wider healthcare team of caterers, cleaners, engineers and administrators – the list is endless.
Whatever your role is in this great organisation, it is worth investigating what tax reliefs you are entitled to. HMRC are another understaffed, overworked department who want to give back your tax overpayment. But they need you to submit an official claim.
What can NHS members claim a tax rebate for?
There is a whole host of work expenses tax reliefs available to NHS staff. Each person’s claim is considered on an individual basis and there is no one answer to the question ‘how much will I get?’
Here are some of the most common expenses successfully submitted for a variety of NHS taxpayers.
- Subscription fees to professional bodies and journals. (Eg; The Nursing and Midwifery Council or The Royal College of Nursing.)
- Some Trade Union fees. (Eg; UNISON)
- If you have no laundering facilities and no laundry vouchers then you can claim for the cost of washing your own work uniform. This can total £100 per year!
- Outside your normal commute between home and work, if you go to different locations for work in your own vehicle, you can claim for mileage and vehicle usage. (Eg; visiting clients in the community, conferences, meetings)
- Appropriate footware is a both a requirement and a necessity for many NHS workers who spend most of the day on their feet. If your employer does not pay you back for money you spend on shoes and tights then it becomes a valid work expense claim.
- Any equipment or resources that you purchase to do your job are also a possible claim. An asset must last for more than 2 years (coffee and biscuits not included then!) and you will need the receipt. (Eg; computer, home office furniture)
You can backdate your claim for up to 4 years and your tax code will be adjusted so that you automatically pay less tax in the future. The rules about receipt evidence are variable with some expenses not requiring any.
How do I claim an NHS tax rebate?
Our NHS tax rebate guide is here to help you find out more about what you are entitled to claim back and how to submit your NHS tax rebate claim to HMRC (the tax office).
Tony Shanks