Martin Lewis: Working from home due to coronavirus, even for a day? Claim TWO years' worth of tax re

katca

I work for a local council and our employer will not co-operate - most of us have been working from home since lockdown and earlier management calculated that we could only safely accommodate 10-20% of staff in the office - When I asked about the tax allowance they refused point blank and said staff are saving on travel costs which balances out (which it does not for everyone), and they say we could come in to work, we are not forbidden, which on an individual basis is true but we are encouraged to work from home because in practice, as a group, the office could not safely have us all back - but we cannot even claim the tax allowance that most people could.  Also, I understand that the Q of whether we should work from home involves more than a blanket risk assessment - eg if you have a serious health condition, or if like me you are over 60 and rely on public transport, so I think my employer's response is pretty poor.  Our fuel bills have increased and so on.  

mistac

I too work for a local authority - my employers overall response is identical to yours. However, they are encouraging us as employees to claim the £6 per week tax relief (£1.20 for most of us) and many of us have. We also had the same dilemma regarding whether we are required/have to work at home - nearly all of us are - but they say they have taken advice from HMRC and the advice was we should claim it 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

but we cannot even claim the tax allowance that most people could

Why do you think this?

Postaltoots

Hi. Been through all the comments and can't see anything relevant to my situation. I only work 13 hours a week and am just under the earnings threshold where I need to pay tax. I guess there's nothing I can claim for?

losdemas2000

Postaltoots said:

Hi. Been through all the comments and can't see anything relevant to my situation. I only work 13 hours a week and am just under the earnings threshold where I need to pay tax. I guess there's nothing I can claim for?

No! Clearly, if you are not paying any tax, then you have nothing to claim back!

losdemas2000

rich80uk said:

Hi all I have a question please. I am an Employed Mobile Technical Engineer. I am based from home. Some days i will be out on the road, other days i will be working from home, admin etc. I do not have a office to goto. Can I claim this?

"HMRC has confirmed to us that as long as you are required to work at home and have additional expenses due to it, even if...

- It is only working from home part-time
- Others are going into work
- You are only needed to work at home, say, one day in five and were in the office the rest of the week

... you can still claim the full £6 allowance (whether as a payment from your firm, or as a tax break) and you too can claim for the entire year for the 2020/21 tax year."

paulnsy65

Applied for this in April via online account - hmrc sent a P87 form and requested a copy of my contract t received this on 28 May - heard nothing since yet colleagues have received adjustments for this year and previous years after 4 hours of phone calls got through to hmrc unable to give an update!

mjm72

my employer paid the extra for working from home as a tax free benefit for a few months then stopped. Can I still claim via HMRC? 

Still  working from home....

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Postaltoots said:

Hi. Been through all the comments and can't see anything relevant to my situation. I only work 13 hours a week and am just under the earnings threshold where I need to pay tax. I guess there's nothing I can claim for?

Ask your employer if they will pay the £6/week.

PAR34

Its there any tax relief for people who did not work from home? Tax relief for people working from home is ridiculous. Tax relief should be given to us that worked on the front line through out and not those who was sat at home in the safety of their own homes. And no, I am not saying this to get the NHS yet more praise, I am saying it for all key worker's. It's these who supported to keep people out of hospital / delivering food supplies etc while putting themselves at risk. Its these people who have been forgotten about from day one. Im sure our government appreciates what these workers have done but it would be nice for them to show it occasionally.