Wash your uniform at home ?

deanos

yes you can

System

Hi - my relative worked for Royal Mail until a year ago; now working for a big chain and has a uniform which gets grubby and has to wash it at at home - would he beable to claim for this in one letter for the 6 years as it is two seperate jobs?

fengirl_2

Yes, of course.

remembered_nights

Can anyone help please? I am trying to make a guide that myself and colleagues can understand to apply for this, I think this is now right but if anyone can double-check the details it'd be much appreciated Especially whether they will contact your employer or not and requests for evidence.

Btw what section do they put retail workers in?

I've tried to collate all the tips from previous posts, so thanks to everyone!

WWW.HMRC.GOV.UK
EIM32485 - Other expenses: clothing: the cost of upkeep and replacement of uniform and protective clothing: laundry costs
-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]You send the letter to your own tax office - the reference number will be on your P60 and the address can be looked up at www.hmrc.gov.uk
-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]You need to quote your NI number and tax reference, suggested letter below.
-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]You have to specifically ask for a cheque for previous tax years. This can be claimed for the current tax year, and upto 6 years previous for any job where you were obliged to launder your uniform and paid tax.
-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Your tax office may reply requesting proof that your uniform is not ‘normal clothing’ (e.g. photo of logos)
-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Your tax office will write to your employer confirming your uniform
-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]They can take anything up to 6 months or longer to reply


[Your Name
Your Address
Date]

[Inland Revenue
Tax Office Address]
(Details available from your employer/pay roll dept)

Dear Inland Revenue

RE: Expenses Allowance

I have been employed at [Company Name, Location] since [Date of Starting at Employment]. I am obliged to launder the uniform, which is supplied to me by the company. I therefore wish to claim an expenses allowance for each year since the above date. Would you please send me a payable order for the years up to 2008/09 and alter my taxcode for the current year.

Yours Faithfully

[Your Name]
[Your Tax code]

fengirl_2

Your instructions and letter are fine, except that 6 mths is not the norm for a reply from HMRC - they are only having temporary difficulties due to a change in the IT system. Also they do not necessarily check with employers in every case.
Retail is not a trade in the old fashioned sense that engineering, etc is, so there is no fixed rate allowance for shop workers, except that anyone working in a supermarket would be covered under 'workers in the food industry'.

melorablack

Does anyone know how long HMRC are taking to look at your claim at the moment?

fluffi37

Hi
I am a council worker and have just been supplied with a new uniform - it has a logo on the jacket/blouse/trousers/skirt etc. I cant see council workers on the list. Does anyone know if I can claim?

Thanks

TM1976

The key things about a uniform are that you must be required to wear it. Logos etc don't necessarily matter but they help prove it is a uniform not some clothes that your employer gave you. If everyone you work with wears the same thing and it was provided by you employer it's pretty clear it's a uniform logos or not.

Standard rate of expense for a uniform from 08/09 is £60 in a year this will probably be about £12 in tax to you. Years previous to this are £45, about £9.90 in tax probably.

These rate apply to anyone who has a uniform so you can claim.

Bella198421

I work in a hotel and have to wear a uniform which is provided by the company. The hotel has laundry facilities (well two machines) but I think the majority of us take our uniform home to wash. What are the chances of getting reduced tax?

TM1976

In answer Jimmo I disagree.

For expenses on employment the point is they must be wholly and necessarily incurred in the purpose of working. Just wearing clothes is not in itself meeting this criteria as standards on common decency and the need to keep warm necessitate wearing clothes.

The reason these expenses (in the case of this thread) are allowable for tax relief is not because they are a uniform but because they are an asset of the employer that requires upkeep. This is why the expense is to do with washing the uniform rather than buying the uniform itself.

Both of these examples relate to costs of a uniform where the employee purchased the clothing themselves. The point of these rulings is to stop people claiming for uniform costs where the employer says you need to wear for instance a blue shirt or you need to wear something that was bought in this shop for clothing retailers.

If the employer supplies the uniform and requires you to wear it then you have a very good case for saying it is a uniform. Logos / matching clothing etc are all indicators as to whether it is a uniform or just some clothing your employee gave you.

In general I would say regarding these claims don't agonise over the tax rules if you think you wear a uniform just make a claim and let your tax office decide. Also, don't highlight the weaknesses in your case like "there is a washing machine at work, I guess I could use it". Just state the facts and if your tax office wants to find holes in your claim they can look for it. Ultimately these claims are pretty small and they won't spent that long looking at them.