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teachwire.net/secondary T eachers and education professionals represent a group of employees who are eligible to claim extra tax relief for certain expenses they pay as part of their job. You may be surprised at the expenses you can claim tax back on and the money you can save in your pay packet each month. You can also make backdated claims for the last four years. Here’s a simple guide to the tax relief you could be missing out on: Union fees Choosing which teachers’ union to join is an important decision. The main unions can be powerful collective bodies when it comes to influencing government policy and campaigning for better working conditions. Teachers and education professionals who are union members will pay registration fees on a monthly or annual basis, and in most instances a percentage of membership fees is tax deductible – worth 20% to a basic rate taxpayer. If you have not claimed previously, you may be able to make a claim for the last four years. HMRC usually makes any required adjustments through your tax code for the current tax year, and also apply any tax relief to your pay going forward, so you’ll typically only need to claim once. It’s possible to backdate any claim to the previous four tax years and receive a lump sum payment. Special clothing You may be due a tax deduction for the cost of cleaning, repair or replacement of specialist clothing, including protective wear such as goggles and overalls, garments required for roles in catering facilities and science departments, or kit for teaching PE. Teachers who are contractually obliged to teach or supervise PE lessons may also be due a contribution towards the cost of cleaning, replacing and maintaining sports clothes and shoes. This can be backdated to the last four tax years and received as a single payment, with any future claims paid alongside wages. You don’t need to provide receipts, but if you are claiming for significant expenditure within a single year, it can help to provide a list of the items purchased and their approximate itemised cost. It only takes a couple of minutes to check what you could be entitled to via an online calculator. Mileage allowance Teachers and education professionals making off- site visits – to an outdoor activity centre or temporary place of work, for example – could also be due a tax rebate. If you use your own vehicle to travel between different school sites or for other work-related activities, and receive less than the approved amount for mileage allowance payments (45p per mile) from your employer in expenses, you can claim tax relief on the difference. Three types of vehicle are covered, and the rate depends on which you use – car/van, motorcycle or bicycle. Be sure to keep all travel and fuel receipts so that you can submit an expense claim via your employer in the first instance. Supply teaching If you’re a supply teacher, your employment arrangements will likely be more complex than those of permanent teaching staff, and could result in you over-paying – or indeed under-paying – income tax. If you teach at several different schools, you may be paying more tax under PAYE than you should be. If the level of tax deducted on your payslip appears too high or too low, it’s good to check if you’re due a refund or owe any additional tax. This may result in your tax code being updated based on your anticipated earnings for the year. In some circumstances, a teacher may want to consider asking HMRC to split their tax code between two or more employers. Stay safe Finally, don’t fall victim to fraudsters sending fake emails and text messages promising tax rebates on your behalf. These types of fraudulent communications tend to become more common around the end of the tax year in late March – never hand out any personal or payment details to companies you haven’t personally approached before. HMRC will only ever contact you via post or your employer. If you suspect you have been the victim of a scam, report the issue to your bank/card issuer as soon as possible. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tony Mills is director at Online Tax Rebates; for more information,visit onlinetaxrebates.co.uk TonyMills highlights how education professionals may be entitled to earn a little something back fromHMRC... Could you be owed a tax rebate? 35 F I N A N C E S