Birmingham tax rebate guide
Are you a born and raised Brummie or living and working here from abroad?
If you are based in Birmingham and paying UK income tax on your wages, then you are probably due a UK tax rebate.
What can I claim a rebate for?
Most taxpayers incur some costs that are directly due to their job. The UK tax office let’s you claim tax relief on many them.
They apply to everyone paying UK income tax, including; part time, full time, UK citizens, and visitors from abroad.
They are not necessarily job specific; it’s a question of finding out which ones apply to you.
Here are some of the most common claims made by taxpayers from Birmingham:
Professional Bodies and Trade Unions
Some professional bodies and Trade Unions have an agreement with HMRC which allows you to make a claim for tax back on some membership fees and Union subscriptions.
Uniforms tax relief
You can claim for both replacing uniform items and for laundering your work uniforms at home; as long as you have not been reimbursed by your employer or have access to laundry facilities at work. So, whether you work in the Bullring or Queen Elizabeth Hospital, if you wear a uniform to work you can make a claim.
Travel using your own vehicle or public transport
If you have to travel to different temporary workplaces then you can legitimately claim the cost of this as a work expense; whether you use your own vehicle or public transport.
For example, if you are employed as an Electrician traveling to different building sites using the Midland Metro.
Tools and Protective Clothing
Birmingham has recently benefitted from the largest infrastructure investment of any European city. Most trades would say that they usually bring at least some of their own tools and safety equipment with them to a job. Whether it be steel toe-capped boots, entire tools sets or specialist equipment, if you’ve bought it to use at work then it is a legitimate tax relief claim.
If you’re leaving the UK
If you are leaving Birmingham you will still be able to claim tax back and it won’t effect your rights if you want to come back to the UK.
Remember…
- If you don’t make an official claim HMRC cannot automatically refund your money.
- You can backdate your first claim for 4 years.
- You don’t always need receipts.
- You don’t have to still be living in Birmingham.
- Your employer is not involved in this process at all, it is between you and HMRC. Making a tax rebate claim does not alter you status in Britain.
