Claiming tax relief on memberships for work

Lil_Choc

Hi,

I’ve claimed this before via the HMRC app and have been able to see which years I’ve claimed for what previously. I’ve gone to do this now online and can only find instructions to print and post a form, and also nothing on what I’ve claimed before cos I can’t remember if I did this for last tax year and wanted to check.

Have they really stopped us claiming online or am I just missing where to do it?

MattMattMattUK

Lil_Choc said:

Hi,

I’ve claimed this before via the HMRC app and have been able to see which years I’ve claimed for what previously. I’ve gone to do this now online and can only find instructions to print and post a form, and also nothing on what I’ve claimed before cos I can’t remember if I did this for last tax year and wanted to check.

Have they really stopped us claiming online or am I just missing where to do it?

Do you pay tax via PAYE or Self Assessment? If via the former then you must claim via the P87 form, if the latter then claim via that route. 

Do your memberships meet the requirements and are they on the approved list?

You can claim tax relief on:

professional membership fees, if you must pay the fees to be able to do your job

annual subscriptions you pay to approved professional bodies or learned societies if being a member of that body or society is relevant to your job

You cannot claim tax relief on life membership subscriptions, or for professional membership fees or annual subscriptions you:

have not paid yourself (for example if your employer has paid for them)

have paid to professional organisations that are not approved by HMRC

Your organisation can tell you how much tax you’re allowed to claim back.

You can claim for this tax year and the 4 previous tax years.

How to claim

If you can claim these expenses, you must complete a P87 form and send it to HMRC by post.

You must send copies of receipts, or other evidence, that show how much you paid for each professional fee or subscription with your form.

Before making a claim you should use this service to check:

if you can claim

how to claim

If you complete a Self Assessment tax return, you must claim through your tax return instead.

https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/professional-fees-and-subscriptions

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/professional-bodies-approved-for-tax-relief-list-3

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Lil_Choc said:

Hi,

I’ve claimed this before via the HMRC app and have been able to see which years I’ve claimed for what previously. I’ve gone to do this now online and can only find instructions to print and post a form, and also nothing on what I’ve claimed before cos I can’t remember if I did this for last tax year and wanted to check.

Have they really stopped us claiming online or am I just missing where to do it?

Other than in some limited circumstances yes.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-issue-briefing-evidence-required-to-claim-paye-p87-employment-expenses/evidence-required-to-claim-paye-p87-employment-expenses

Lil_Choc

Hi, It’s PAYE and yes they are eligible for tax relief, it’s just before I’ve been able to apply online, and see what I claimed before, but that option seems to have disappeared now. I wasn’t sure if it was hiding somewhere or we’ve really gone back to paper.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Lil_Choc said:

Hi, It’s PAYE and yes they are eligible for tax relief, it’s just before I’ve been able to apply online, and see what I claimed before, but that option seems to have disappeared now. I wasn’t sure if it was hiding somewhere or we’ve really gone back to paper.

Yep, some people always manage to spoil things for others!

Lil_Choc

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Lil_Choc said:

Hi, It’s PAYE and yes they are eligible for tax relief, it’s just before I’ve been able to apply online, and see what I claimed before, but that option seems to have disappeared now. I wasn’t sure if it was hiding somewhere or we’ve really gone back to paper.

Yep, some people always manage to spoil things for others!

I wonder if it was just too easy!

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Lil_Choc said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Lil_Choc said:

Hi, It’s PAYE and yes they are eligible for tax relief, it’s just before I’ve been able to apply online, and see what I claimed before, but that option seems to have disappeared now. I wasn’t sure if it was hiding somewhere or we’ve really gone back to paper.

Yep, some people always manage to spoil things for others!

I wonder if it was just too easy!

I think so.  Ever since Self Assessment was introduced the Inland Revenue and now HMRC have generally operated a process known as "process now check later" and I think they are now realising that isn't necessarily the right way to approach things.

MattMattMattUK

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Lil_Choc said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Lil_Choc said:

Hi, It’s PAYE and yes they are eligible for tax relief, it’s just before I’ve been able to apply online, and see what I claimed before, but that option seems to have disappeared now. I wasn’t sure if it was hiding somewhere or we’ve really gone back to paper.

Yep, some people always manage to spoil things for others!

I wonder if it was just too easy!

I think so.  Ever since Self Assessment was introduced the Inland Revenue and now HMRC have generally operated a process known as "process now check later" and I think they are now realising that isn't necessarily the right way to approach things.

I totally agree, the amount of tax fraud going on that is not even reported as fraud is huge, on top of all the reported fraud. HMRC estimates evasion at £5 billion, but other more holistic estimates place it at £30-50 billion per year. The UK needs a far simpler tax system, with more checks and very vigorous processes before paying out tax rebates/refunds. 

SacredStephan

9th October

LITRG: Changes to claims for tax relief on employment expenses
https://www.litrg.org.uk/news/changes-claims-tax-relief-employment-expenses