WFH costs

RogerBareford

Undervalued said:

TELLIT01 said:

Is there a net cost to working from home.  Presumably there were travel costs previously, possibly also clothes only worn for work plus other ancilliary costs such as lunch, coffee.....

Exactly!

Unless you live within walking distance of work, you will have a significant saving in travelling costs.

Buying lunch and expensive coffee is optional, you can perfectly well take whatever you would eat at home with you to the office.

Or cycling distance! Many people could save money and get exercise by cycling to work.

liz_bartun

Neutron808 said:

I work from home since the pandemic started and I won't be returning due to health reasons. I use my own computer, BB etc should the wokplace contribute to the cost of this and utility bills?

They could give you the £6/week allowance that is tax and ni free.

Contributing to your actual utility bills costs is complicated and would probably create a benefit in kind scenario.

As it's your equipment you're using, maybe have a conversation with your employer about what would happen should it break and need repairs or replacing. I'd be inclined to ask them to provide computer equipment for work use tbh, to put the responsibility for it's maintenance and upkeep firmly at their door.

housebuyer143

DE_612183 said:

you can of course claim tax relief.....

Claim tax relief for your job expenses: Working from home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Unless you don't pay tax and then you can't get it 🙄

I was annoyed at this but I just think of the petrol I save and move on. 

Ath_Wat

RogerBareford said:

Undervalued said:

TELLIT01 said:

Is there a net cost to working from home.  Presumably there were travel costs previously, possibly also clothes only worn for work plus other ancilliary costs such as lunch, coffee.....

Exactly!

Unless you live within walking distance of work, you will have a significant saving in travelling costs.

Buying lunch and expensive coffee is optional, you can perfectly well take whatever you would eat at home with you to the office.

Or cycling distance! Many people could save money and get exercise by cycling to work.

Only if showers are available, of course.

RogerBareford

housebuyer143 said:

DE_612183 said:

you can of course claim tax relief.....

Claim tax relief for your job expenses: Working from home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Unless you don't pay tax and then you can't get it 🙄

I was annoyed at this but I just think of the petrol I save and move on. 

Well it makes sense that you can't claim a "tax relief" if you don't pay any tax..

MrsStepford

You can claim for heat and lighting for your work area
Claim tax relief for your job expenses: Working from home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

liz_bartun

MrsStepford said:

You can claim for heat and lighting for your work area
Claim tax relief for your job expenses: Working from home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The rules for this are very narrow now that the COVID easement has stopped

MrsStepford

HMRC has tightened WFH rules, they are worse now than they were pre-pandemic. You have to work for a company which isn't a commutable distance  or the employer has to say that they don't have enough space for you - hotdesking is excluded. You can't choose to WFH and if there's a hybrid working choice in the contract, you won't get the allowance.

HMRC is doing it on a case by case basis.

My bro, living in E Sussex, works from home for an agency in Bedfordshire. Managers work in the clients' offices usually, but this client stipulated that the three managers would have to work from home. Having visited some of the client's 30+ sites, their own managers don't work at most of them and the engineers are mobile and fix probs when called out. 

Since his employer isn't nearby, doesn't have temp staff office accommodation and it's the client wanting managers WFH I reckon there may be a chance. he could get WFH allowance. He might then get some money towards heating and lighting for his home office.  

Dazed_and_C0nfused

RogerBareford said:

housebuyer143 said:

DE_612183 said:

you can of course claim tax relief.....

Claim tax relief for your job expenses: Working from home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Unless you don't pay tax and then you can't get it 🙄

I was annoyed at this but I just think of the petrol I save and move on. 

Well it makes sense that you can't claim a "tax relief" if you don't pay any tax..

Although relief at source pension contributions are a notable exception 🙂

OrbitHeadache

If you are a contractual homeworker in the civil service you get everything paid for because working from home is not a choice, mostly contractual homeworking is due to redundancy mitigation or on occasions due to health reasons. So it's entirely down to the business you work for but if you work from home full time due to health I would suggest getting broadband etc paid for would be reasonable.