Can a paye tax payer claim back taxable expenses?

Petmidget

First thing take a look at the employment tests on HMRC website.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employment-status/index.htm

See how it relates to what you do, and whether it indicates that you are in effect self employed or at least should be. The tests are a balancing act so you may be employed in some aspects and self in others.

Can I ask exactly what you do and for how many employers and in what locations.

If you are working on a contract per production basis and for a variety of firms and expect to get to the location under your own steam and supply a proportion of your own equipment. You can pick and choose which productions you work on, etc then you need to look as to whether you should be self employed.