Nurses Tax Rebate Guide
Most Nurses are due tax relief for some of their work expenses.
When you first claim your Nurses Tax Rebate, you get back your tax overpayment for the last four years and an altered tax code continues tax savings for the rest of your working life.
Many nurses don’t claim back their full entitlement and don’t receive the tax relief they deserve.
Your tax rebate won’t automatically be refunded, so it is wise to submit your claim as soon as possible to avoid losing out on your full refund.
The Nurses Tax Rebate Guide is free to use and is for nurses who work for the NHS and or private sector. It gives all nurses some important facts about income tax and the nursing profession.
What can a Nurse claim a tax rebate for?
Most Nurses qualify for the following expenses:
- Professional fees and Unison subscriptions – membership costs for professional bodies like the NMC and RCN and others. You can also claim for your UNISON fees.
- Uniform cleaning − if you pay to clean your work uniforms, and your employer doesn’t provide cleaning vouchers or laundry facilities. You are eligible for tax relief on an allowance worth £100 a tax year.
- Shoes and tights − if you buy tights and shoes for work you can claim back up to £18 each tax year.
- Using your own car – this doesn’t include normal commuting to just one place. An example would be a mid-wife travelling to clients in the community. Some kind of travel log or diary is usually required to support this type of claim.
- Work assets and equipment − if you buy equipment such as a laptop or desk that you use for work, you may be eligible for tax relief. You’ll need proof of purchase, and the asset must have a lifespan of more than two years.
Can all Nurses claim a tax rebate?
Both NHS and private sector nurses are eligible for tax relief on their expenses. If you have previously claimed, (or you’re not sure if you have) it’s worth filling in the contact form on this page with your tax code and we can check to see if your code reflects your job expenses.
If you’re reading this and you’re not a nurse, it’s possible you can make a claim too. Jobs are many and varied so it’s worth checking to make sure you get back every penny you are owed.
What is a Nurse Tax Rebate worth?
The average Nurse tax rebate depends on your circumstances. We’ve listed some of the most popular expenses below to give you an idea of what you might be entitled to.
Nurses uniform tax relief:
For the cost of washing your own uniform a claim is worth £125 per tax year from the 6th April 2014 (£100 before).
Nurses shoes and tights tax relief:
If you provide your own shoes and tights you can claim £6 for tights and £12 for shoes per tax year.
NMC fees:
Tax relief is applied to the full amount of your Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) subscription fees.
RCN fees:
Tax relief is allowable on the full annual subscription fee of your Royal College of Nursing (RCN) fees.
UNISON fees:
An agreement with UNISON means you can claim back tax relief on 70% of your total UNISON subscription fee.
Everything else:
Any other allowable expenses will be worked out on an individual basis and what you are owed back is dependent on the type of expense and the rate at which you pay tax.
Find out more with our income tax guides.
Decrease your future tax bill
It’s important to remember that once you make a claim you will pay less tax in each future tax year through an adjustment in your tax code.
With most nurses working in their profession for many years, this will be a valuable tax saving not to be missed.
How to claim your Nurses Tax Rebate
To claim your nurses tax rebate you can contact HMRC aka the tax office.
HMRC let you start the process online usually via a P87 employment expenses form and let you call them if you encounter any problems.
When HMRC receives your claim they will review it and give you a response in writing usually within about 8-12 weeks.
For nurses that complete a self assessment tax return a claim should be included on their tax return in the relevant employment section.
