Who is the uniform tax refund calculator for?

The uniform tax calculator is for anyone who is employed under PAYE and earns enough to pay tax.

A uniform allowance is available to everyone with an HMRC recognised uniform, regardless of your job description.

It can also apply to people who wear and wash their own protective clothing for example a hi-jacket worn by a construction worker.

The uniform tax refund calculator let’s you select your job title and industry so you can get a more tailored estimation.

How is a uniform tax refund calculated?

The uniform tax allowance is agreed by HMRC with the basic allowance being worth £60 per tax year, but this can increase to as much as £720 per year depending on the type of job you have.

A uniform tax refund is calculated using the rate of tax you pay on your income with most common rates being at 20% or 40% for higher rate taxpayers.

For basic rate taxpayers this means that you receive a tax refund worth 20% of the uniform allowance.

If your uniform allowance is worth £60 this would equate to refund of tax worth £12 per tax year.

Other tax code allowances have been approved by HMRC to cover the cost of other work related expenses like hand tools bought by a joiner.

The allowances are called flat rate expenses and you can find a comprehensive list in our flat rate expenses directory.

A uniform tax refund claim can reduce the amount of tax you pay

Making a work uniform tax refund claim can save you money now and in the future too by reducing the tax you pay on your income.

HMRC makes it your responsibility to reclaim your tax refund on uniform and for any other employment expenses.

This bit is important because unless you make the effort to find out what you are eligible to claim for and then follow the claims process you will receive none of your entitlement.

You will get:

• A tax rebate for the last four tax years in the form of a cheque or BACS transfer.
• A new tax code reflecting your uniform washing allowance and any other expenses you have. This means you will pay less tax and get more take home pay.

Is the uniform allowance given automatically?

HMRC expects you to claim the uniform allowance meaning it is not generally applied to your tax code automatically.

The responsibility to reclaim the work uniform allowance for previous tax years also sits with the taxpayer.

If you only update your tax code for the current tax year and are eligible to claim for previous years but don’t tell HMRC by following their claims process you won’t receive the tax relief you are entitled to.

Does HMRC need receipts with my uniform tax refund claim?

HMRC does not need you to provide receipts or maintain records when claiming a flat rate for uniform tax.

Opting to claim for a flat rate expense takes away the need to track how much you spend on maintaining your uniform or acquiring job related tools.

Can I claim a tax rebate for anything else?

At the same time as claiming back a work uniform tax refund you can apply for other types of expenses.

The tax office call these employment expenses and they all have to be claimed for by you and will not be given automatically.

Some of the popular employment expenses that taxpayers often claim with a uniform claim are:

• Professional and Union fees.
• Tools and equipment.
• Travel to temporary places of work either in your own vehicle or by public transport.
• Use of home for work.

Finding out if you can claim for more than just your uniform can really pay off with rebates being backdated for several years being added to a saving of income tax for future tax years.

Work uniform tax refund example

Chris is a mechanic and he has to launder his own protective clothing because his employer does not provide uniform washing facilities.

As a mechanic he is entitled to the basic uniform allowance worth £60 and an additional £60 tool allowance to help cover the cost of any hand tools bought for work.

Because Chris pays tax at the basic rate of 20% he receives tax relief worth 20% of the £120 flat rate totaling £24 per tax year.

Before you make your work uniform tax refund claim

In preparation for your claim it is recommended that you check your current tax code to ensure the uniform allowance isn’t already included in your code.

Making a quick check before you claim could stop you making a claim for something you have already received.

You can check your tax code and personal allowance by using your personal tax account or by downloading the HMRC app to your mobile phone.

How to start your uniform tax refund claim

To start your uniform rebate claim you can contact HMRC (also known as the tax office) and make your claim online by using the online P87 process or by sending your information by post.

For self assessment taxpayers who complete a tax return you should include your uniform allowance in the employment section of your tax return.

When the claim has been submitted any repayment of income tax due will be refunded and an adjustment to your current tax code is usually made at the same time.

Your tax code updating with the uniform allowance will mean you shouldn’t need to make a further claim for uniform in the future.