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HMRC opens working from home tax relief portal

HMRC opened its own online portal on 1 October to process and receive tax relief claims for thousands of workers who have been told to work from home by their employers during the pandemic. Since its launch, the portal has been used by 50,000 workers, HMRC has revealed.  

Claiming working from home tax relief

Eligible taxpayers can claim tax relief based on the rate at which they pay tax. So, if someone pays a 20% basic tax rate and claims £6 per week in tax relief, they will receive 20% of £6 per week: £1.20. 40% tax rate taxpayers will receive 40% of £6: £2.40. Cumulatively, this could equate to an annual tax reduction of £62.40 or £124.80 respectively.

Where employees have not received the WFH reliefs thus far, they can apply directly to HMRC. Applicants do not need to provide evidence of increased home bills, unless they are applying for tax relief which exceeds the £6 per week flat rate.

Karl Khan, HMRC’s interim director general of customer services, 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.’

More information for taxpayers

For more information on how to claim and the options for workers, visit our home expenses blog.

Whether you’ve committed to working at home temporarily or on an ongoing basis, our guide to homeworking tax reliefs outlines the many money-saving options for employees, sole traders and limited companies.  

Money-saving measures aren’t limited to the home. With so many of us working from home and others classed as self-employed, it’s crucial that you know the many business expenses that you can claim. Visit our A-Z guide of business expenses which you can download for your convenience.

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Claim tax relief for your job expenses here.

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