Mechanic get tax back for tools?

pinkskyatnight

hi im not sure if this is the right place to post this?

my boyfriend is a mechanic and over the years hes spent alot of money on kitting himself out with all the tools he needs to be able to do his job.
ive heard that you can write to the tax office with these details and sometimes you get some sort of rebate for the tax paid on the items?
is this true?
does anyone have any more info on this?
most of his tools are snap on and he has an itemised bill for the last 10 years.
Many thanks

buglawton

Only if he is self employed (e.g. a sole trader who submits their own tax assessment every year).
Even then, may only be able to claim a percentage of the capital outlay each year.
Not sure how far back he can go in time.

I would have thought, if self employed, he'd be claiming for more than tools, e.g. mobile, travel, work clothes, cleaning materials...

sleepless_saver

pinkskyatnight wrote: »

hi im not sure if this is the right place to post this?

You'd be better posting on the Cutting Tax board.

paddedjohn

buglawton wrote: »

Only if he is self employed (e.g. a sole trader who submits their own tax assessment every year).
Even then, may only be able to claim a percentage of the capital outlay each year.
Not sure how far back he can go in time.

I would have thought, if self employed, he'd be claiming for more than tools, e.g. mobile, travel, work clothes, cleaning materials...

You don't have to be self employed to claim, all you need are the receipts for the tools you have had to buy to do your job.

YOU ARE HERE: Tax Rebate Services > Tax FAQs > Mechanic / Vehicle Technician Tax Claims > What is a Tool Allowance Tax Rebate?
Common Questions About Tax

Q. What is a Tool Allowance Tax Rebate?
A. If you have to purchase tools for work use, and are not reimbursed by your employer, you may be entitled to tax relief on your purchases. This is known as a tool tax allowance. If you have receipts for you tool purchases it is possible to make a capital allowance claim for the actual costs of your tools.
If you do not have receipts it is still possible to make a tool allowance tax claim in the form of a flat rate expense claim. A flat rate expense deduction is a nationally agreed amount with HMRC for your trade. The agreed flat rate deduction amount for example for a Mechanic for the 2012/2013 tax year is £120. This means you can earn £120 a year extra before you start paying tax.
Following your flat rate expenses tool tax allowance claim the amount is included in your tax code resulting in you receiving tax relief on tools by paying less tax in future years unless your circumstances change. Receipts for tool purchases are not necessary for this type of claim.
It is important to remember that if your tool purchases are for more than the flat rate expense a further tax rebate on tools claim is possible. A claim can be made for as far back as receipts can be provided and the tool is still in use.
To help you further in reclaiming a Mechanic / Vehicle Technician tax rebate, please see:

pinkskyatnight

hiya they were all bought through snap on so we have an itemised bill from when he started working there 9 years ago. his bill is £3,000. can we apply for the rebate ourselves or should we use one of these companies that take a percentage of the claim received?
If i wanted to try myself would i just need to send a letter with the request and a copy of the itemised bill of said tools?
thank you.

buglawton

Do it yourself rather than use one of those fraudulent companies.
Can you clear up thr question - is he self employed? The methods of getting a tax refund do differ.

buglawton

Oh just had a look at the link above. Frankly it looks like a bait page to drum up business.

The real info is in the HMRC pages e.g. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/relief-capital.htm

Unless he is self employed I would say not much chance of any worthwhile rebate. But he may be able to claim a £120 per year increased allowance. This might mean £40 or so more cash after tax per year.

Tim_Kitchen

If he is self emplored then he can get the tax back on utilizing his tools. Tax rebate on tools can be up to 15% of the total amount you spend. It takes around six to eight weeks to get the tool tax rebate.

discostu121

sorry to hijack this thread, I am also a mechanic of 15 years and have c.£12000 worth of tool receipts over the last 8 years from my snap on dealer, as I am employed PAYE not self employed am I entitled to anything other than the £120 per year allowance I already have? I heard I could claim back some of the cost of my tools as they aren't supplied by my employer.any help would be great thanks

specialboy

discostu121 wrote: »

sorry to hijack this thread, I am also a mechanic of 15 years and have c.£12000 worth of tool receipts over the last 8 years from my snap on dealer, as I am employed PAYE not self employed am I entitled to anything other than the £120 per year allowance I already have? I heard I could claim back some of the cost of my tools as they aren't supplied by my employer.any help would be great thanks

Have a read of this site....


http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/relief-tools.htm