Are you a care worker using your own car for work? You can claim money back for your mileage.
Whether you visit clients in the community, travel between different clinics, homes or hospitals or work at a temporary workplace, it is very likely that you are entitled to claim tax relief on the miles you clock up whilst working.
Care workers tax rebate quick facts
- It is up to you the employee to make a claim for a mileage tax rebate; your employer is not responsible.
- Many care workers are paid some mileage allowance by their employer, if this is the case for you it is still probable that you can claim more money back.
- It is also important to note that you can only claim tax relief on miles travelled whilst you are working, you cannot claim a rebate for any mileage that can be classed as normal commuting. An example of normal commuting is a nurse travelling to the same hospital each day.
How much mileage tax rebate can a care worker claim?
For any mileage traveled as part of your job you can claim tax relief for up to 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and then 25p a mile after that.
Remember you are claiming the tax relief on these amounts; you will not receive tax relief on the 45p or 25p for each mile and not the full amount. The value of the tax relief for a care worker is normally 20% of the total value of your mileage claim.
Care workers mileage tax rebate example
If you are claiming for 10,000 miles then the calculation that will be used to work out your rebate will be as follows;
(10,000 miles x 45p = £4500) @ 20% (Tax relief) = £800. So, if you put in a claim for 10,000 miles (at 45p per mile) you will get around £800 back if successful.
You will not receive the full 45p per mile (which would work out as £4,000).
Our free mileage tax rebate calculator is here to help you estimate how much your care workers tax relief may be worth.
What do I need to make a care workers mileage claim?
It is necessary for care workers to keep records of the number of miles they have traveled whilst doing their job. It is still possible to make a claim without records but it is more difficult and involves your employer providing additional information.
The best evidence are timesheets or payslips which show the location you have travelled to and the dates.
If you have been paid a mileage allowance by your employer how much you have been paid in each tax year will be needed.
How far back can I claim I make a mileage claim for?
The tax office let you claim back for the past four tax years. If you have changed employer within the last four tax years (and have your evidence) you can still make a claim.
You cannot make a mileage claim for the current tax year. You need to wait until after the current tax year stops on the 5th April before making a claim.
Tax must be paid to be eligible to claim
To be successful a claim has to be made for a tax year in which you have earned enough to pay tax. If you haven’t paid tax in a year you have claimed for a tax rebate cannot be repaid.
How to claim a care workers tax rebate
To claim your care workers tax rebate you can claim by claiming with HMRC online or by post. You may need to complete a self assessment tax return depending on the value of your mileage claim. If the claim is worth over £2500 in any one tax year a tax return should be completed usually online if you can.
