Taxback on equipment WE bought for work?

TangledMemories_2

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction.
Heard on the grapevine that you can claim tax back when you buy items for use in your job.
My partner is employed as a mechanic and MOT tester. We've had to buy clothes for him to wear under his overalls as well as buy ALL his tools.
We've asked Snap-On (the toolman) to give us a receipt for EVERY item we've ever bought from him..

Just wondering...are we living on a false hope?

fengirl_2

Yes, employees can claim a deduction for anything bought wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of the duties of the employment. These rules are very strictly applied however.
Motor mechanics are entitled to a fixed rate deduction every year whether o not they buy items for work. HMRC website lists all the main trades and the alllowance due. If he has bought items over the fixed rate deduction, he can claim the extra. Just a simple letter to his tax office will suffice.

Linda_Secker

Could you possibly let us know whereabouts on HMRC site the info about allowances for trades is? sorry to be a pain, but I can't find it and this could be useful to a couple of friends of mine....

Regards
linda Secker

System

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimmanual/EIM32712.htm

See part way down under Trades ancillary to engineering. If he has been in the job for several years he can ask for those years to be considered too.

Linda_Secker

Thanks for that, very helpful. Hope it is helpful to OP as well, I didn't mean to hijack her post.....:o

But have now thought of another question....If someone is employed as a mechanic, joiner or whatever, does their tax code not already reflect the allowance? ie does HMRC allow them this automatically (except as in OP's case, they are having to buy a lot of stuff extra....)

Or does HMRC need to be told by the tax payer for the allowance to be given? If so, how does someone go about this?

I'm guessing htis might depend on the employer having given HMRC the information in the first place...

Regards
Linda

System

Theres no way HMRC could possibly know what your job is they only know you are employed by the company if you or the employer tell them. Also you could be a receptionist rather than a mechanic with the company, the employer does not tell them what position they are filling.

So the taxpayer has to write to their tax office and ask for allowances to be giving to them and if need be they can ask HMRC to consider previous years if they feel they didn't get allowances in those years either. HMRC can go back a maximum of 6 years.

One way of telling if you are already getting allowances is to read the PAYE coding notice that HMRC would have sent to you.