Can I claim back tax on a laptop bought for work as an employee?

Legacy_user

Hi, I need to buy a laptop so I can work when on business travel. I feel I should fairly be able to claim the tax back on this as it will only get used for business but there is nothing online about how to get the tax back. Only for self-employed people but I am an employee.

Thanks.

p00hsticks

No - if your employer feels that you need a laptop for business use when travelling then they should be supplying you with one.

As an aside, I've had several places of work where using a personal PC for business use was strictly forbidden on grounds of security / confidentiality.

System

They won't provide one because it will cost them money. Yet I do need one for work when I travel. Could I do my job without one? possibly but much much less efficiently and it's in my best interest to do my job well. It's not really about what my employer feels I need to do my job more it's up to me to do the best job I can. (I'm in business development so have to arrange meetings and sales).

So I don't understand how I can't get the tax back. It's a business expense surely?

TheCyclingProgrammer

Can you do your job with it? You'd assume if it was essential your employer would provide one. That they aren't seems to suggest it isn't necessary, just a nice to have.

The starting point for most employee expenses is that they must be wholly, exclusively and necessarily for business purposes.

WHA

Unless your employment contract requires you to provide your own laptop, then no tax relief.

System

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

Can you do your job with it? You'd assume if it was essential your employer would provide one. That they aren't seems to suggest it isn't necessary, just a nice to have.

The starting point for most employee expenses is that they must be wholly, exclusively and necessarily for business purposes.

Hmm well surely by that reckoning you can technically do your job with a piece of paper and a lump of coal instead of a pen....technically.

I travel all over the world and have to arrange meetings on the fly. so I have to use either my phone or some terrible computer cafe. So it would make my life a hell of a lot easier and get more meetings/sales if I had a laptop for sure. Should my company have the foresight to see this? probably. but they don't want to spend the money. So here I am.

System

That sucks that self employed people would get tax relief on a laptop that for business whereas I don't.

uknick

beany_bot wrote: »

That sucks that self employed people would get tax relief on a laptop that for business whereas I don't.

But, I assume you get paid for holidays, sick leave, paternity/maternity leave etc. whereas self employed don't.

System

uknick wrote: »

But, I assume you get paid for holidays, sick leave, paternity/maternity leave etc. whereas self employed don't.

That's really not the point I am making.

My point is. If a laptop is considered tax deductible for use in business. Then surely that is black and white? Shouldn't matter if you are an employee or self employed. It makes no difference to how VAT is viewed as a "luxury" item tax.

System

OK here is another one. I work a lot from home. Can I claim back part of tax paid on my heating etc? the same way self employed people do?

uknick

Claiming costs for working at home;

https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home