Income Tax and Car Expenses for Employed 13 February at 8:00PM in Cutting tax 12 replies 264 views

ianflying

Hi 

I am employed and a 40% tax payer and have an Accountant that claims back my business mileage. They never claim anything else on my behalf apart from tax relief on a couple of direct debits to charities. 

My question is firstly should they be claiming tax relief on items such as energy and broadband as i am an home based account manager and secondly a cheeky one, is there any way you can claim payments towards a car required for work like you can if you are self-employed. 

Thank you

Dazed_and_C0nfused

ianflying said:

Hi 

I am employed and a 40% tax payer and have an Accountant that claims back my business mileage. They never claim anything else on my behalf apart from tax relief on a couple of direct debits to charities. 

My question is firstly should they be claiming tax relief on items such as energy and broadband as i am an home based account manager and secondly a cheeky one, is there any way you can claim payments towards a car required for work like you can if you are self-employed. 

Thank you

Re the car, isn't that what they're already doing 🤔

Why do you think you can claim for energy and broadband costs?

eskbanker

If you're paying an accountant to handle your tax, what do they say when you ask those questions?

sheramber

have you asked your employer for a contribution to your energy and broadband costs?

ianflying

HI Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

ianflying said:

Hi 

I am employed and a 40% tax payer and have an Accountant that claims back my business mileage. They never claim anything else on my behalf apart from tax relief on a couple of direct debits to charities. 

My question is firstly should they be claiming tax relief on items such as energy and broadband as i am an home based account manager and secondly a cheeky one, is there any way you can claim payments towards a car required for work like you can if you are self-employed. 

Thank you

Re the car, isn't that what they're already doing 🤔

Why do you think you can claim for energy and broadband costs?

Accountants only claim for difference in pence per mile for business use, company pay 18p a mile

Working from home ??

ianflying

Yes, and they have said drive to an office location 

ianflying

eskbanker said:

If you're paying an accountant to handle your tax, what do they say when you ask those questions?

Hi Thanks, they have just said you cannot claim for those benefits

singhini

You might want to take a look at this: 
Claim tax relief for your job expenses: Working from home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Dazed_and_C0nfused

ianflying said:

HI Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

ianflying said:

Hi 

I am employed and a 40% tax payer and have an Accountant that claims back my business mileage. They never claim anything else on my behalf apart from tax relief on a couple of direct debits to charities. 

My question is firstly should they be claiming tax relief on items such as energy and broadband as i am an home based account manager and secondly a cheeky one, is there any way you can claim payments towards a car required for work like you can if you are self-employed. 

Thank you

Re the car, isn't that what they're already doing 🤔

Why do you think you can claim for energy and broadband costs?

Accountants only claim for difference in pence per mile for business use, company pay 18p a mile

Working from home ??

You seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding of what the mileage claim covers.

https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/vehicles-you-use-for-work

In certain circumstances working from home expenses can be claimed but a lot depends on the exact reasons for working from home.

Presumably your accountant knows more about this than you've told us so why do you doubt their view?

singhini

OP
I've worked in sales and my customers were hospital staff in both medical wards and surgical theatres and i have claimed the following:

Working from home (i used to claim 40% tax relief on £4 x 52 weeks = £82.20p). Looks like it £6 per week now.

Work clothing (i had my own theatre clogs, theatre gowns, overshoe covers, therefore claimed 40% tax relief on £60 = £24.00). There used to be a Flat Rate £60 which men't you didn't need to keep receipts. Do note that the clothes i describe are not part of my "normal" wardrobe hence i was able to claim.

So that was roughly £106.20p  i claimed.


I also once claimed 40% tax relief on charging my electric company car but that was a real faff (my accountant wanted evidence of how many kwh the car was, and how many hours it took to charge and evidence of how much i was paying for my electricity and if there was a difference between AM and PM charging rates). i had to send in pictures from the car brochure confirming the kwh rates
This was along time ago and i suspect things have now changed regarding electric cars.
 
You wrote " is there any way you can claim payments towards a car required for work like you can if you are self-employed"

No is the simple answer. Your claiming the mileage allowance already (i.e. the 18p you mention), HMRC ain't going to let you claim anything else. If you buy something for the car i.e. de-icer or window scrapper then you might want to try and put that through your company expenses but HMRC ain't going to help you.  

Jeremy535897

The problem with an employee claiming WFH expenses is that you have to be required to work from home (and the classic example was being required to work from home under COVID regulations). HMRC are strict on when you can claim:
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim32790