Working From Home Tax Relief 2025/26

stevedresden

Does anyone know what the arrangements are this year? The online form/process looked completely different to last year

I've claimed every year since Covid - because my employer closed the office and moved us all to full-time remote workers. I have the signed contracts that confirm this

The last couple of years, you declared that you WFH full time (once the new TY starts) and they changed your tax code to 1288L within a couple of days

This time though, it seems to sort of read that it will be done retrospectively at year end by way of a tax rebate, but it's far from clear. The whole thing seemed to have been changed to make it as difficult as possible to understand the process

sheramber

From what I read you now need to send proof of working from home  with your claim.

I assume this is to counter the tax claim companies making claims and pocketed their commission , before the  claimant is told the claim is not valid and he has to repay the whole lot, including the commission deducted before he got the net payment. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

stevedresden said:

Does anyone know what the arrangements are this year? The online form/process looked completely different to last year

I've claimed every year since Covid - because my employer closed the office and moved us all to full-time remote workers. I have the signed contracts that confirm this

The last couple of years, you declared that you WFH full time (once the new TY starts) and they changed your tax code to 1288L within a couple of days

This time though, it seems to sort of read that it will be done retrospectively at year end by way of a tax rebate, but it's far from clear. The whole thing seemed to have been changed to make it as difficult as possible to understand the process

Where have you seen that?

What method of claiming are you using?

P87 online, P87 paper form, something else?

stevedresden

Online via the form at https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees

I just tried to run through the form again to see if it was still as confusing, and it seems even worse now. It tries to get you to choose your industry via a dropdown list but the list has nothing applicable in it - then it lets you enter your industry in free text - but says you can only claim £60. Then you continue through the form and put £312 as your annual WFH expense and it says you are trying to claim £312 + £60. It definitely didn't do this when I completed the form in early April.

sheramber

Did you use this flink for claiming for working from home?

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

stevedresden

sheramber said:

Did you use this flink for claiming for working from home?

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

Yes- exactly that. Have you tried running through the online process?

sheramber

The link that you quoted is  not for working from home claims.

I have not gone through the wfh claim form as you have to log into to HMRC to do it  .

stevedresden

sheramber said:

The link that you quoted is  not for working from home claims.

Well it is, the "next" button at the bottom of that page takes you to the same Working From Home link that you quoted.

Thanks

Dazed_and_C0nfused

stevedresden said:

sheramber said:

The link that you quoted is  not for working from home claims.

Well it is, the "next" button at the bottom of that page takes you to the same Working From Home link that you quoted.

Thanks

And on the page you linked to it states this,

If your claim is for the current tax year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will usually adjust your tax code so you pay less tax

stevedresden

Hmmm - I guess that's kind of my point. It *says* that on the first page, and it's always said that - but the experience of filling in the new online claim process gives a different impression.

And last year my tax code was changed within a week of me completing it. It's now been nearly 2 months

Hence my question. I was really looking for others who had completed the process this year to see what they made of it. If you haven't completed the process and you don't work for HMRC then you won't have much to input here

venomizer

I'm also having problems this year. I completed the online form but have now received a letter in the post asking me to send evidence to support the claim (they've never asked before, just updated my tax code accordingly).

Annoyingly, the letter is written as if I'm claiming tax relief for specific work-related expenses, although I only applied for the standard £6/week relief as usual.