Covid: Working from home? You could be eligible for more than £60 in tax relief for pandemic so far
For most Britons, working from home during the coronavirus pandemic has not been ideal, but it turns out you could be in for some extra cash for every week you worked, under certain circumstances.
Anyone who has been told to work from home by their employer to help stop the spread of Covid-19 can claim tax relief and it could be worth a pretty penny.
Those entitled to the maximum amount of tax relief could claim more than £100.
Here's how it works and if you're eligible to claim:
Since April 6 this year - after the full national lockdown was enforced on March 23 - employers have been able to pay staff up to £6 a week tax-free to cover additional costs if they have had to work from home.
If an employee has not received the working from home expenses payment direct from their employer, they can apply to receive tax relief from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Workers eligible for the relief can claim it based on the rate at which they pay tax.
If someone pays the basic 20% rate of tax, they can claim back 20% of £6 for every week they worked at home.
If someone on the basic tax rate had been working from home since April 6 to now, they could expect £34.80. Over a full year it would add up to £62.40.
Someone on the higher rate of 40% would be able to claim £69.60 if they had been working from home since the start of lockdown til now. That would be £124.80 over a full year.
How to claim:
HMRC has set up a "simple to use" portal on its website for people to claim.
Simply answer the questionaire on the website, which will tell you if you are eligible to claim tax relief.
If you are, you'll be directed to another government page in which you'll fill out your personal details.
To progress, you'll need your National Insurance number , plus a recent payslip or a P60 or a valid UK passport.
You'll also need a Government Gateway user ID, which will take about ten minutes to create if you haven't already got one.
Once the application has been approved, the online portal will adjust your tax code for the 2020 to 2021 tax year.
You will receive the tax relief in your salary and will continue to receive the adjustment until March 2021.
HMRC’s Interim Director General of Customer Services, Karl Khan, said: “We want everyone to get the money that they are entitled to, so we’ve made the online service as easy to use as we can – it takes just a few minutes to make a claim.”
What if I haven't worked from home?
People who haven't had to work from home during the pandemic may be surprised to learn they could still claim some tax relief.
Tax relief can also be claimed on work-related expenses, such as cleaning work uniforms.
HMRC said: "The extra money can help thousands of critical workers whose efforts are helping save lives during the coronavirus pandemic."
"Employees who clean, replace or repair uniform or tools, or pay fees and subscriptions for their work can apply online directly to HMRC and see instantly if they are eligible for tax relief on work expenses," it added.