Healthcare Worker Tax Rebate

Wash Your Uniform? Pay Professional Fees? Average Tax Rebate Over £900!

If you work as a midwife, health visitor, healthcare assistant, or any healthcare professional , you are probably eligible for a healthcare worker tax refund. You may be able to claim a healthcare worker tax rebate for certain clothing and laundry costs, or for professional fees such as Trade Union membership. In many cases you can backdate your claim for tax relief for up to four tax years.

On this page you will find information about:

Can I Claim Tax Relief for Professional Fees?

You can claim tax relief for membership of many professional bodies, including Royal College of Nursing, The British Medical Association, and Unison.

You can backdate a tax rebate claim for professional fees for up to four years. After you have made a tax rebate claim, the professional membership fees will be included in your tax code, which means you will pay less tax in the future, as long as you remain a member of that professional body.

Can I Claim Tax Relief for the Cost of Shoes and Tights?

If you are required to wear certain shoes or tights while at work, you may be able to claim tax relief for the cost of these items.

At present, there is a flat rate of £6 for tights and £12 for shoes during each tax year. You can only claim tax relief for shoes and tights bought for work purposes that you have paid for yourself, and only if you have not been reimbursed by your employer. You can usually backdate your claim for up to four years.

What about Tax Relief for Laundry Costs?

If your employer does not provide washing facilities or laundry vouchers for the clothes you wear at work, you can usually claim tax relief for the cost of laundering your work clothes.

There is a flat rate, which includes laundry costs, paid at different rates depending on the specific job you do in the healthcare sector. For example, plaster room orderlies, hospital porters, ward clerks, sterile supply workers, hospital domestics and hospital catering staff are all entitled to £125 per year as a flat rate work expenses claim.

Healthcare workers tax refunds apply to staff working for the NHS and private hospitals and nursing homes. You can usually backdate your claim for up to four tax years.

You can only claim tax relief for laundry costs on specialist clothing or uniform that you wear for work purposes, and if you pay those costs yourself. If you have access to laundry facilities at work, supplied by your employer, you won’t be eligible for this tax relief.

Can I claim Tax Relief for Business Mileage?

You can usually claim tax relief if you use your own car for work purposes.

This is often called business mileage. You cannot claim business mileage for ordinary commuting to a single permanent place of work.

However, you can claim business mileage for travelling between different places of work, such as visiting various clinics or clients’ homes.

  • The business mileage rate is set by HMRC. In 2019-20 this is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter. You can backdate a claim for business mileage for up to four tax years, although the rate set may be different for the previous years. If you are paid a proportion of this rate by your employer already, you are still entitled to reclaim the difference from HMRC.

  • If you receive an allowance for mileage from your employer, but this allowance is less than the business mileage rate set by HMRC, you can make a business mileage claim for the difference. If the mileage rate paid by your employer is taxed, you can also claim a rebate for this.

Full details of locations visited and records of mileage travelled should be provided in support of a business mileage claim. However, if you did not keep these records you may still be awarded tax relief.

Can I claim Tax Relief for Specialist Equipment?

You can claim tax relief for equipment, tools and assets that you buy for work use in the Health Sector. This may include a lap-top computer or a desk. The equipment should have been bought specifically for you to complete your job, and you cannot claim for equipment provided by your employer, or if you have been reimbursed for the purchase.

You can make a capital allowances claim for equipment, tools and assets that you have bought for professional use. You should provide a receipt or proof of purchase for all capital allowance claims. Items bought for professional use can usually be claimed under capital allowance rules if they are expected to last two or more years.

Claim a Healthcare Worker Tax Rebate

For further Tax Refund information, please follow the links below:

Tax Refunds by Employment

  • Nurse Tax Refunds includes:
    Nurse Tax relief for the cost of laundering of Uniform
    Nurse Tax relief for the cost of shoes and tights
    Nurse Tax relief for professional fees – RCN Tax, Unison Tax, NMC Tax
    Nurse Tax Relief for use of own car or public transport for work purposes

  • Teacher Tax Refunds includes:
    Teacher Tax Relief for professional fees – NUT tax relief, NASUWT tax relief.
    Teacher Tax Relief Books and Journals
    Teacher Tax Relief for specialist clothing
    Teacher Tax Relief for Equipment Purchased for Work Use
    Teacher Tax Relief for qualifying travelling expenses

  • Tax Relief for Washing of Uniform includes:
    Am I Eligible for Uniform Tax Relief for Washing Uniform?
    What am I actually claiming back?
    How much will I get from a Uniform Tax Relief claim?
    Can I claim for any other Tax Relief?
  • Mechanic Tax Claim Refunds includes:
    Tool Tax relief– What are Flat Rate Expenses?
    Tool Tax relief– What are Capital Allowances?
    What About Tax Relief for Specialist Clothing?

  • Tax Claim Refunds for Trades / Construction Industry Workers under PAYE includes:
    Can I claim Tax Relief for Business Mileage?
    Can I Claim Tax Relief for other using Public Transport?
    What about Accommodation and Subsistence?
    Tool Tax Refund: What are Flat Rate Expenses
    Tool Tax Refund – What are Capital Allowances?
    Can I Claim Tax Relief for Specialist Clothing?

  • Doctor Tax Refunds includes:
    Doctors Tax relief for professional fees
    Doctors tax relief for Professional Indemnity Insurance
    Doctor Tax Relief for business use of car
    Tools and equipment purchased for work use

  • Police Tax Refunds includes:
    Police Officers Tax Relief for the Cost Of Laundering Uniform
    Police Tax Relief for the cost of Police Federation Fees
    Police Tax Relief for Business use of own car or public transport for work purposes

  • Student Tax Refund includes:
    If I am a student can I claim a Student Tax Refund?
    What About if I work during the Summer?

Tax Refunds for Expenses

  • Business Mileage Tax Refunds includes:
    What is Business Mileage?
    What counts as a Temporary Workplace?
    What are the Business Mileage Rate Allowances?
    Travel Expenses – Can I claim any further Tax Relief?

  • Travel Expenses Tax Refunds includes:
    When can I claim tax relief (business mileage) for travel to a temporary workplace?
    When can I claim tax relief (business mileage) for travelling to work in different locations?
    If I use public transport can I claim tax relief for a travel card?
    When can I claim tax relief for Subsistence and accommodation?
    Do I need to use the cheapest transport or accommodation to claim tax relief?
    Travel Expenses – How much can I claim?

  • Subsistence Expenses Tax Refunds includes:
    What Is Subsistence?
    What Is A Temporary Workplace?
    Do I Need Records?
    My Employer Reimburses Me Can I Still Claim?

  • Tools for Work Use Tax Refunds includes:
    Tools Tax – When am I Eligible for Tax Relief on Tools, Equipment and Specialist Clothing?
    Tools Tax – What are Flat Rate Expenses?
    Tax relief for tools – What are Capital Allowances?
    What About Tax Relief for Specialist Clothing?

Tax Refunds for Tax Code

Tax Refunds for Left The UK

  • Left or Leaving the UK Tax Claim Refunds includes:
    When am I entitled to leaving the UK tax back?
    How much UK tax back can I receive?
    Do I need to complete Tax Claim Forms when leaving the UK?
    Do I need to complete a Self Assessment Tax Return?

  • UK Non Resident Tax Refunds includes:
    What is Non-Resident Status?
    What is a Double Taxation Agreement?
    What sort of UK Income is eligible for tax relief?
    How do I apply for UK Non-Resident Tax Relief?
    Do I need to Complete a Self Assessment Form?

  • UK Non Resident Landlords Tax Refunds includes:
    What is the UK Non Resident Landlord Scheme?
    What if the property is administered by Letting Agents?
    Can I claim Tax Relief for Property Expenses?
    How does the Non Resident Landlord Scheme affect my Tax payments?
    Do I need to complete a Self Assessment Tax Return?
    How does other income affect my tax allowance?

  • Seafarers Tax Refund includes:
    What is Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction?
    Who can claim SED?
    What information do I need?
    How do I claim?

CIS Tax Refunds

  • CIS Tax Refunds includes:
    What is a CIS Tax Refund?
    How do I get a CIS Tax Refund?
    What is the average CIS Tax Refund?
    Should I fill in my Tax Return myself or use an Accountant?
    CIS Tax Refunds – important to know

Other Tax Refunds

  • Car Tax Refund includes:
    Can I get a refund on my Car Tax/Vehicle Tax?

  • Council Tax Rebate includes:
    Can I claim a Council Tax rebate?

  • Gift Aid includes:
    What is Gift Aid?
    What kind of Donations Apply to Gift Aid?
    Gift Aid Claim Tax Refund!
    How Do I make a Gift Aid Claim?

  • NI Refund includes:
    For the Employed
    Missing National Insurance Years
    National Insurance Refund if you have left the UK
    Class 1 National Insurance and the State Pension Scheme
    National Insurance Refund for the Self Employed

  • VAT Refund includes:
    VAT Refund for Individuals
    VAT Refund if you live in the EU
    VAT Refund if you live outside the EU
    VAT Refund if you work or study in the UK but live outside the EU
    VAT Refund for Business

More Info

Tax Refunds

For more information please see:

Claim a Healthcare Worker Tax Rebate