Working from Home allowance

peteuk

Just had a call to HMRC to sort out my underpayment - dealt with and updated on another thread. 

BUt incovnersation it appears they have removed my Working from home allowance and advised me that since 2023-24  there is no longer a £6 per week flat refund and that everything has to be calculated and I have to claim yearly. 

My understanding was that you could claim WFH only if your contract is a WFH contact and not you chooisng to WFH. That it adjusted your tax allowance and that was carried over every year.

(NB I am part of a team of 8, based all over the country and work shifts, so although I am 30 minutes from one of our two offices, I still WFH due to working nights, early mornings, late nights etc.) 

Do I have to reply each year as advised?  Has the flat rate been removed? (According to the Gov website it hasnt) 

Thanks. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

There seems to have been a general trend for HMRC to not be quite so relaxed as they once were.  Requests for evidence up front (for those outside the Self Assessment system) being one example.

Maybe just allowing WFH expenses for one year at a time is part of that move 🤔

MyRealNameToo

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/claim-tax-relief-expenses/disclaimer

The above is the guidance of who can claim tax relief and what evidence you must send. If you go through it it tells you the sort of thing you need to send, like a letter from your employer advising why its not possible for you to work from the office 

sheramber

Who can claim tax relief

You can claim tax relief if you have to work from home, for example because:

• your job requires you to live far away from your office
• your employer does not have an office

Who cannot claim tax relief

You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home. This includes if:

• your employment contract lets you work from home some or all of the time
• your employer has an office, but you cannot go there sometimes because it’s full

How to claim

When you claim, you must send evidence that you have to work from home if you’re either claiming:

• £6 a week for the tax year 2022 to 2023 or later
• the exact amount you’ve spent

If you’re claiming the exact amount you’ve spent, you will also need to send evidence such as a copy of your receipts or bills.

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