Working from home tax relief

With an increasing number of people working from home and continuing to do so, it is time to consider applying for the working from home tax relief.

What is working from home tax relief?

As per previous years, you may be able to claim tax relief for additional household costs if you have to work at home on a regular basis, either for all or part of the week.

With COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, more people have worked from home than ever before. If employed workers were told to work at home by their employer because of coronavirus and, as a result, their household costs have increased, they are eligible to claim. 

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is accepting tax relief claims for working from home due to coronavirus during 2021 to 2022. More than 550,000 employed workers have already claimed and are benefitting from the tax relief.

How much can I claim?

You can claim either:

• £6 a week from 6 April 2020 (for previous tax years the rate is £4 a week) – you will not need to keep evidence of your extra costs
• the exact amount of extra costs you’ve incurred above the weekly amount – you’ll need evidence such as receipts, bills or contracts

You’ll get tax relief based on the rate at which you pay tax. For example, if you pay the 20% basic rate of tax and claim tax relief on £6 a week you would get £1.20 per week in tax relief (20% of £6).

How to apply for working from home tax relief

To claim for tax relief, employees can apply directly via GOV.UK for free. If you’re unsure and want to know more, contact us.