Intranet text: A message to staff about expenses
Updated 2 December 2024
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A message to share on your staff intranet - please feel free to copy and paste as appropriate.
Could you claim back work costs with HMRC?
Did you know… you might be eligible to claim tax relief to help towards some types of work costs, if they aren’t covered by your employer?
That’s the message HM Revenue and Customs are sharing in their ‘Don’t Get Caught Out’ campaign.
Common work costs you could claim
- washing or replacing uniforms or work clothing
- buying or repairing tools you need for your job
- professional fees and subscriptions
- travel expenses
- some work from home costs
The average amount that people claim is currently around £125.
You can only claim costs like these if your employer doesn’t cover them already.
For example, if your employer has already supplied you with a uniform, you can’t claim this. Eligibility criteria also applies for different types of expense claims.
Check first, claim later
It’s important to always check if you’re eligible before making any work expense claims – even if you use a tax agent.
If not, you could end up out of pocket.
You won’t just have to pay back any invalid expense claims. Often, companies won’t refund fees or commission they’ve already charged you – so it pays to be sure.
Claim direct with HMRC
It’s free and simple to claim work expenses with us directly.
You won’t have to pay any agent fees or commission if you do it yourself.
For most claims, apart from ‘uniform, work clothing and tools’ expenses, you will need to provide evidence to support your claim by post to HMRC.
The evidence will vary depending on the expense type you are claiming. It’s quick and easy to check what evidence is required, visit our eligibility checker page.
Once you’ve checked your eligibility, you should know you if you are eligible for tax relief from HMRC.
Go online and search ‘Don’t Get Caught Out’ to learn more.
Unlike paying someone else to handle work expenses on your behalf, claiming with HMRC directly is the only way to make sure you get every penny you’re owed.
Don’t get caught out by bad tax advice
Some tax refund companies also offer to make expense claims on your behalf just so they can get a commission – even if it turns out you aren’t eligible to claim.
You might have seen adverts promising easy money if you claim tax relief with them. But if an agent puts in an expense claim for something you shouldn’t, you’ll still be responsible for paying it back to HMRC later on.
You can find out more about the sorts of things to steer clear of on our don’t get caught out campaign website.
Do your research
There are legitimate tax agents. Just make sure you choose carefully if you are interested in using one to claim expenses.
Spread the word
Pass on this information to your colleagues, friends, and family to make sure they know when they can claim work expenses and the things they should look out for.