Do you wear a uniform for work? This can include anything from a branded item of work wear, protective clothing such as overalls, gloves, boots and helmets. If you do, you may be entitled to tax relief for the costs of laundering your uniform, if you are responsible for cleaning or replacing your uniform and your employer does not reimburse you for this. However, you cannot claim for the initial cost of buying this clothing. Here at Your Work Wear, we love all things uniform, but this has to be the best thing!
You are also entitled to tax relief if you have to buy – out of your own money – the tools you need to be able to do your work. For example, if you’re a hairdresser your employer might require you to provide your own scissors. The tax relief also applies to the cost of maintaining and replacing the tools.
What the HMRC say about uniforms
You can get tax relief on the cost of repairing, cleaning or replacing a uniform if:
it’s a recognisable uniform that shows you’ve got a certain sort of job – like a nurse or police uniform
your employer requires you to wear it while you’re working
you’ve got to pay for it yourself
This covers most items of work clothing if you cannot reasonably wear the items OUTSIDE of work, so for example, the sweater with your workplace branded on it would be eligible for tax relief, but the plain black unbranded trousers would not, as you could wear those outside of work. It also covers things such as Hi-Viz clothing and protective wear, as again, you wouldn’t expect to wear those outside of work.
What you get
Flat Rate Expenses
If you have to spend money on tools or specialist clothing for your job you may be entitled to either:
tax relief for the actual amounts you spend
a ‘flat rate deduction’
Flat rate deductions are amounts that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has agreed with Trade Unions to be an appropriate amount. The deductions are calculated using figures of what is typically spent each year by employees in different trades. For example, someone working in the clothing industry can get a deduction of £60 each year. A cabinet maker can get a deduction for £140 while the deduction for a stone mason is £120. You don’t have to be a member of a trade union to get the deduction. Claiming is easy and you don’t need to provide evidence of the amounts you spend. Follow the link below to see a table of agreed flat rate expense deductions.
Flat rate expense deductions
If your industry is not listed on the table, you can still claim a standard amount of £60 for the laundry costs of uniforms or protective clothing.
How to get it
The HMRC website have a guide to claiming your tax relief on their website or you can consult your Tax Advisor on the process. What are you waiting for? Claim your tax relief today and start seeing the benefit of a branded uniform!
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