Can I claim RCN tax relief?
As a member of the Royal College of Nurses, you qualify to receive a tax rebate on 100% of your subscription fees and this applies to the last 4 tax years.
You can also get a new tax code which raises your tax free personal allowance and decreases your tax bill for all future years, whilst you’re a member. That’s quite a saving, considering how many years you could be working for.
Take action to claim your RCN tax relief
Lots of RCN members don’t make a claim and miss out on the tax relief they are entitled to. The responsibility of getting your RCN tax rebate lies with you, meaning the tax office needs to be notified.
RCN members can claim for other expenses too
Every nurse has what they think of as living costs, without realising that HMRC’s classification of these items as work expenses comes with allowable tax relief.
How many of these items do you pay for, out of your own pocket?
- NMC registration fees.
- Uniform washing.
- Belonging to other professional bodies and/or Trade Unions, like UNISON.
- Travel costs; have you used your own vehicle to travel to different work locations?
How to apply for your RCN tax refund?
To process your RCN tax rebate claim you need to claim through HMRC either online or by post.
If you have claimed in the past you should be able to do it over the phone by calling HMRC.
To obtain your RCN tax refund you have the option to apply online or by mail through the tax office.
The process of claiming tax relief for your RCN membership fee varies depending on whether or not you complete a self-assessment tax return in the year when you make your claim.
Using P87 form for NMC tax refund: If nurses do not need to file a tax return they can utilise HMRC form P87 to submit their RCN claim.
The P87 form can be filled out electronically or downloaded and sent via mail to HMRC. It is worth noting that one P87 form allows individuals to claim for up to four consecutive years, which makes it convenient for submitting multiple years’ worth of RCN rebate claims.
After applying, anticipate receiving a response and any applicable tax refund from HMRC within approximately 8-12 weeks.
HMRC will typically deposit the refund into the bank account specified on your P87 form or issue a cheque by post if you prefer.
In case you require any assistance HMRC is available to provide direct support and you should be able to get updates through your HMRC personal tax account.
NMC tax refund through self assessment: Individuals who earn £2500 or more in employment expenses or have other reasons such as self employment will need to file a tax return.
For those who do complete a tax return, it is crucial to include the value of their RCN membership fee along with other necessary information.
RCN tax rebate P800 tax calculation
When you make a claim for a tax rebate with NMC, HMRC will send you a P800 tax calculation letter for each tax year of your claim.
This letter will provide detailed information on how HMRC has calculated your tax refund. It’s important to review each calculation carefully and notify HMRC if you believe there are any errors.
RCN tax rebate and your tax code
Once the P87 form or the tax return is processed by HMRC expect a change in your tax code.
HMRC will update your tax code to incorporate the annual value of your NMC membership fee, as well as any other eligible professional fees and reliefs.
This adjustment ensures that in future tax years, you receive appropriate tax relief on your employment expenses by reducing the amount of income tax deducted from your salary.
If at any point you stop paying membership fees to RCN or no longer receive allowances included in your current tax code it’s important to inform HMRC so they can make necessary amendments to your tax code.
