Make Money on Wearing a Uniform

Martin Lewis has urged people to claim back on wearing a uniform for work. You’re able to claim back tax on the costs of maintaining your uniform, and in the wake of rising prices, there’s no reason not to.

Most people are able to claim tax back on a flat rate of £60, which entitles you to the applicable amount of tax. Basic rate taxpayers will get £12, which is 20% of the £60, while higher rate taxpayers will receive £24. Higher rate taxpayers are able to claim 40% on the flat rate as they pay more tax.

Depending on your profession, you may be able to get more back. It’s important to check what the flat rate is for your occupation, as you may be entitled to more. See the government’s full list for further details. Emergency service staff can claim on higher amounts, while ambulance staff have a much higher £185 flat rate, which would give a basic rate taxpayer £37 for the year or £74 for a higher rate taxpayer.

The best thing is, because it’s a claim on a flat rate, there’s no need for proof of purchases or associated costs with laundering your clothes. Even if you only wear a uniform one day a week, you can make a claim on the flat rate for the entire year. It’s essentially a rebate for simply going to work.

You’re also able to backdate the claim by up to four years, which would give you a nice lump sum. On the £60 flat rate, you could receive £60 for the current year and the backdated four years in total. For ambulance crew, this would jump to £185 for a basic rate taxpayer.

The Money Saving Expert is encouraging people to claim as soon as they can in order to not miss out on an extra year. If you claim before the start of the new tax year in April, you won’t be out of pocket.

The tax rebate is for the effort of washing your uniform for work. If your employer provides the means to wash your uniform, you won’t be able to make a claim. That’s even if you don’t use the facilities on offer.

In order to qualify, your clothing has to be recognised as a uniform. This could include a logo, a company name or even being recognisable by anyone on the street as a uniform for a certain profession.

You also need to be required to wear it by your boss in order to conduct your role. This includes health and safety clothing, such as hi-viz jackets. You must also have to purchase, replace and mend it yourself.

Finally, the last hurdle is that you must have paid income tax for the years that you’re claiming. If you’re backdating a claim, but weren’t paying income tax for a particular year, you won’t be able to claim for the years you don’t qualify.

For further information, see our article on everything you need to know before making a uniform tax claim.