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.

This includes if you have to work from home because of coronavirus (COVID-19). You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home. You may be able to claim tax relief for:

• gas and electricity
• metered water
• business phone calls, including dial-up internet access

You cannot claim for the whole bill, just the part that relates to your work.

You may also be able to claim tax relief on equipment you’ve bought, such as a laptop, chair or mobile phone.

How much you can claim

You can either claim tax relief on:

• £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).

Savvy business tax planning should also include making full use of allowable expenses. This could mean bringing forward expenses or deferring income, therefore delaying tax payments. Knowing what you can claim for can be confusing, but generally, the expense should be “wholly, exclusively, and necessary” for business purposes. Call a member of the team today to find out more on 01942 816 512.

Source: GOV.UK