Uniform Tax Allowance

You could be entitled to recover £100s of tax for up to five years of expenses if you wear a uniform at work and have to wash, fix, or replace it yourself. If it's a branded T-shirt or a uniform specific to your industry, you could be owed a rebate.

Am I eligible to apply?

To be eligible for tax exemption, all of the following conditions must be met:

• You wear a recognizable uniform that identifies the occupation, such as a branded T-shirt, a nurse's uniform, or a police uniform. According to HMRC, a simple test would be whether you were out and about in your work uniform and a member of the public recognized your employer from the logos or business name on your uniform.
• Your employer requires that you wear it when on the job. This means you have no choice but to purchase it.
• It is your responsibility to buy, clean, fix, or upgrade it. You cannot, however, claim if your employer washes your equipment, offers facilities for doing so (even if you don't use them), or pays you to do so.
• You paid income tax in the year you are claiming for. You can't claim this benefit if you didn't pay any taxes in the year you're claiming for since this is a benefit to minimize your tax liability.

Who can’t claim this allowance?

Armed forces personnel are one category that should not be required to go through the process. Their tax code could address the expense of maintaining their uniforms, with their tax-free personal allowance increased to compensate.

If you're self-employed, you can claim uniform and laundry costs on your self-assessment tax return rather than claiming directly with HMRC.

How Much Can I Get?

The regular flat-rate uniform maintenance cost allowance is £60. You'll get back the amount of tax you would have paid on the £60 if you applied for a uniform tax refund. As a result, whether you're a basic-rate taxpayer, you'll get a refund of 20% of £60, or £12. Higher-rate taxpayers can receive a refund of £24.

You can backdate your claim for up to 4 years.

Depending on your industry, you might be able to earn more

Some jobs have more strict restrictions, such as ambulance personnel, who have a maximum annual allowance of £185 due to the use of specialized uniforms. For each year they say, basic-rate taxpayers will receive £37 in tax back (higher-rate taxpayers would receive £74). Nurses and midwives will apply for shoes, socks, and tights in addition to their regular allowance (£125).

Click here to check the full list of industries  

How and when will I get the money?

Your tax code will adjust for the current tax year, meaning you'll be taxed less in the future and see a small boost in your take-home pay. According to HMRC, getting a new tax code normally takes two days. However, whether you'll see a difference in the actual pay depends on whether the employer receives it before the payroll cut-off date.

HMRC will either make changes to the tax code or grant you a tax refund if your claim is for previous tax years. You'll get a letter from HMRC after your application has been submitted and processed, detailing how much you're entitled to and when the money will be paid.

How we can help

Claim My Tax Back offers assistance in claiming back money owed to you for your Uniform Expenses. The application process is quick and easy and only takes 2 minutes. After you have submitted your online claim, it then takes between 8 to 12 weeks to find out how much you could be owed and a payment will be sent to you.

Click here to claim for Uniform Allowance

Published on: 04/05/21