Claiming tax on a laptop purchase

DireDebts

I am hoping someone can help me with some advice relating to a laptop and income tax. I am needing to purchase a laptop for a job as my employer is unable to provide this. I will not use this computer at home so I am wanting to know can I claim income tax relief on the purchase and if I can, how would I go about this? Thankyou for any advice.

uknick

As an employee very unlikely any income tax can be reclaimed.

The rule is the item has to be "wholly, necessarily and exclusively for work".

Not sure a standard laptop falls into the "exclusively" category.

I suppose if you could find some way of proving

a)it was never taken home,
b)never used for personal use and
c)you could not do your job without it

you might have chance.

Many have tried before and lost. The case law is based upon a barrister wanting to claim for the black clothes she had to wear in court. It was ruled that, as they could be used other than in court, they were not allowed. But her "wig" would be allowed.

Pennywise

The key question is whether it's a condition of your employment that you have to buy yourself a laptop. Would you lose your job if you didn't. That's the crux of the matter. What does your contract of employment say?

Acc72

DireDebts wrote: »

I am needing to purchase a laptop for a job as my employer is unable to provide this.

Are you an employee ?

If so, surely if a laptop is required as part of your job then your employer would provide this ?

Kayalana99

DireDebts wrote: »

I am hoping someone can help me with some advice relating to a laptop and income tax. I am needing to purchase a laptop for a job as my employer is unable to provide this. I will not use this computer at home so I am wanting to know can I claim income tax relief on the purchase and if I can, how would I go about this? Thankyou for any advice.

IDK if its advisable but it makes sense in my head that your employer buys it through the business and you pay the other 80%?

But yea..if you need it for your job why are you buying it. :cool:

nomunnofun

uknick wrote: »

The case law is based upon a barrister wanting to claim for the black clothes she had to wear in court. It was ruled that, as they could be used other than in court, they were not allowed. But her "wig" would be allowed.

Mallalieu v Drummond.

Just to clarify, these were clothes that the barrister chose to wear that just happened to be black. The case centred on the dual purpose of such clothing i.e. they could quite reasonable be worn at times other than in work. The gown/robe and, as you say, wig are allowable as it would be unreasonable to expect them to have a dual purpose in this way.

DireDebts

Yes I am an employee. I need to take the laptop home to work at home some of the times but I would not use it for home use, as I have my own personal laptop, so this new laptop would be exclusively for work use. I can not use my personal laptop for my work as it has the incorrect operating system and versions of software. I will buy it as my employer is very low in funds and exists mainly on grants and it would be very difficult for them to buy the laptop for me. I need to think again how to deal with this but thankyou for the help and any further inputs.

uknick

What are you going to use the laptop for that can't be done on your own laptop?

00ec25

uknick wrote: »

What are you going to use the laptop for that can't be done on your own laptop?

read the full reply....

DireDebts wrote: »

..... I can not use my personal laptop for my work as it has the incorrect operating system and versions of software......

uknick

00ec25 wrote: »

read the full reply....

I did. I used Office 2003 on an XP system at home many years after my employer had gone to a much later version of Office and operating system. I was still able to work at home and email the stuff into work.

If the OP has a very specific software package to use that won't work on his home machine, this may support the argument the purchase was only to work on.

If it is just to do Office type work, I can't see them having any chance to claim it back.

macman

If your employer expects you to work at home then they should give you the tools to do the job, whether 'short of funds' or not.