Can anyone help with my Uniform laundering Tax Refund?

Mark300zx

Sent off the standard letter with all the areas filled in correctly and got a backdated refund for approx £26, I thought it seemed a little light. Accompanying the cheque came a letter asking permission to examine my tax records to work out the full refund. I wrote back granting permission and have since got another letter asking for other details, P60s etc., this doesn't seem like the simple process I thought it was going to be or has the HMRC made a mistake God forbid?

Mockingjay1

HMRC are possibly missing information, have you changed jobs during the last few years? Claimed JSA or any other benefits?

FYI the £26 might seem "a little tight" but it is tax relief you recieve not the cash amount of the expenses, i.e. if the relief you recieve is 60 of expenses you get this back at your rate of tax, for example 20%. So £60 expenses @ 20% = £12 for a year

Mark300zx

Thanks for your reply, I haven't changed jobs I work as a firefighter (yearly expenses are £80) and bought a buy to let in 2007, so I am not sure if that changes the complexion of things, talking to other firefighters they have got a lot more back?

Mockingjay1

The laundry allowance on its own for firefighters is 80pa, so at 20% tax (im presuming) would be worth £16 in real money for each year. Im afraid right now the furthest back you can claim would be the 08/09 tax year, so that would be 4 years you could claim for 16 x 4 = £64? Has the extra allowance already been in your code which might explain why your repayment is less? Also this is just the laundry allowance do you have any other expenses you need to claim against? Such as professional subscriptions & so on....
Are you completing a Self Assessment return for the rental property? If you do make sure you enter the expenses on your employment page to ensure you recieve the benefit of them when working out your tax liability for the year.

Mark300zx

Ok it seems that I mistakenly thought I get the full £80 back here, thanks for your help