HMRC reveals almost 800,000 WFH tax relief claims made since April

Since April, almost 800,000 employees who have been working from home during the pandemic, have claimed tax relief on household related costs, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

According to the tax authority, the saving is worth up to £125 per year for each employee, and eligible workers can claim the full year’s entitlement if they have been told to work from home by their employer, even if it has been for “one day during the tax year”. 

Employees who have either returned to working in an office since early April or are preparing for their return can still claim the working from home tax relief and benefit from the full year’s relief for the 2021 to 2022 tax year.

HMRC said eligible customers can claim tax relief based on the “rate at which they pay tax”. 

For example, the authority said if an employed worker pays the 20% basic rate of tax and claims tax relief on £6 a week, they would receive £1.20 a week in tax relief (20% of £6 a week) towards the cost of their household bills. 

Higher rate taxpayers would receive £2.40 a week (40% of £6 a week). Over the course of the year, this means customers can reduce the tax they pay by £62.40 or £124.80 respectively.

Myrtle Lloyd, director general for customer services at HMRC, said: “More people are getting back to office working now, but it’s not too late to apply for tax relief on household expenses if they’ve been working from home during the pandemic.”