People working in the security industry have plenty of opportunities to claim back Tax from HMRC. From cleaning their own uniform to travelling to temporary workplaces to renewing their SIA licence, all of these costs can be deducted against Taxable income.
This all really depends on how fast you can prepare all of the information needed. When we calculate your Tax rebate, we will ensure that your claim includes every possible allowance and every possible expense. This means that we can get you the largest possible repayment.
Once we have all of the information needed to compute your security Tax refund and have submitted the claim on your behalf to HMRC, repayments can take anywhere from ten days to a few weeks. This generally depends on how busy HMRC are. January and April are usually busy months for the Tax office, but other months not so.
When contacting Edgemark Accounting, be prepared to have as much information to hand as possible. This would include payslips, details of where you have been working, copies of receipts, and notes of your SIA licence. Plus details of any other expenses you feel may be relevant to your security work.
Generally, it’s not the type of work that you do, but it’s the type of expense that qualifies you for a Tax rebate. There are so many security workers in positions where they could be due a Tax refund. Some of the security industries that we have commonly dealt with include:
It is the type of expense that generates a repayment, and not the type of security work you are involved in. For example, no matter what security industry you are employed within, all forms of travelling to temporary workplaces are allowed. Likewise, there is no distinction made for claiming relief on cleaning uniforms for one security trade against another.
Even if you’re not employed in the security industry but feel you have qualifying expenses, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a no obligation enquiry.
The costs associated with obtaining your SIA licence are fully deductible against your Taxable income. This means that up to 45% of the costs can be refunded directly to yourself.
Although your SIA licence is due for renewal every three years, current HMRC rules and regulations allow you to claim up to four Tax years worth of expenses.
With the current application for SIA being £220, it’s not the cheapest of licenses. Are you sure you are getting the right amount of Tax relief for your expenses?
Working in the security industry commonly requires you to clean a branded uniform at your own expense. These expenses are an allowable expense against your income. This means that if you have not been given an allowance by HMRC then you will most likely be due a Tax refund for your security uniform.
With Tax refund claims being allowed up to four years, Tax rebates can quickly become substantial. Including travelling costs such as mileage and hotels, as well as making claims for other items such as using your own equipment and tools, average claims made on behalf of our clients are in the region of £2,500.
Working in security can often mean that you have to cover more than one workplace during the term of your employment. In these cases, your workplace is deemed as a temporary workplace, that allows you to claim your mileage costs in full. Including travelling from and to the temporary workplace.
For example, in your security contract, you maybe required to cover various clients’ premises. If your employer does not pay for your travelling costs then it would highly likely that you are due a Tax rebate.
The Tax refund does not come automatically from HMRC. They must be informed that you are due Tax relief and you have four Tax years to do so.
If you have paid for your own security equipment, or have been required to maintain your employers equipment at your own expense, then this could mean you are due Tax relief on those costs in the form of capital allowances.
Capital allowances are a form of Tax depreciation, but can be offset against income when calculating Income Tax due. If you have unclaimed capital allowances to offset against your security income, this would most likely give rise to a Tax relief claim.
As some pieces of security equipment can be quite costly, it could be worthwhile investigating this form of Tax relief further. It does not matter if you have sold or lost the security equipment.