Work Uniform
Uniforms include ‘hi-vis’ and ‘company branded uniforms’ eg a polo shirt and/or fleece/jacket displaying the name of the company or the word ‘security’. Provided that your employer does not provide on-site facilities to wash your uniform, you are entitled to claim a uniform tax refund.
Union Fees & Memberships
Monthly/yearly contributions to your union/professional body may be tax deductible which means you can claim back a portion of your fees as a tax refund. There are thousands of unions/professional bodies in the UK that qualify for tax relief, provided they are approved by the tax office and form part of their ‘List 3’.
Expenses & Mileage
Buying, repairing or replacing small tools you need to do your job are tax deductible. You can also claim a tax rebate on repairing or replacing specialist clothing.
A mileage deduction may be claimed for business mileage incurred. Meals and accommodation (business travel) may also be tax deductible depending on the nature of the expense.
Illustrative example of a security guard who applies for a tax refund:
Scott Larsen is a supervisor at Securitize and has been employed in his current role for the last 2 years. He wears a company branded uniform to work. In addition he uses his private car to travel between client sites and does not get reimbursed by his employer for the mileage incurred of 9,000 miles per year. He also recently renewed his SIA Licence.
He completes his application online and receives a refund of £1,688 a few weeks later that enables him to book an all-expenses paid holiday to Cyprus for 2 weeks!
Below is a breakdown of his refund – as per HMRC legislation, he was able to claim back tax for the last FOUR years:
| MILEAGE (9,000 x 2 x £0.45p x 20%) | £1620 |
| SIA LICENCE (£220 x 20%) | £44 |
| UNIFORM (£60 x 20% x 2) | £24 |