I believe I get tax back for payment to "professional bodies". But I couldn't find anything on the Inland Revenue to tell me how to do that. I am on PAYE and don't have to complete tax returns.
Are there any simple way of getting my money back (other than to complete a tax return, spending ages, aggregating the bank/building society interests, etc. I have earned, etc.).
Is it also true that I would get tax back for subscriptions to a recognised trade union?
Unfortunately, if the revenue have not included your professional subscriptions in your PAYE coding, the only way you will obtain relief for them is by completing a self assessment return and including them in the employment pages.
John Pointon Accountant, Tax Consultant "In business to grow your business"
In message of Wed, 21 Jan 2004, John Pointon writes
Oh not it's not.
Write or phone your tax office. If you are a simple and straight forward PAYE case they may ask you to send them evidence and then issue a revised Coding for the current year and an assessment (R37) for any previous years which you are claiming this relief for, showing the repayments due. A repayment draft will follow later.
The Revenue wont put people into the Self Assessment system unless they really have to, especially straight forward PAYE cases.
DF
"David Floyd" wrote
Yes - back when I was on PAYE, I simply sent a letter to IR each year when I paid my professional subscription, telling them how much it was that year, and they simply added it to my tax code. Very easy.
You won't get tax back for all professional bodies - the IR keep a list of bodies they accept as legit for agiven profession. The organization in question will also probably publish info about it annually.
Trade Unions is more clear cut - the membership fee is deductible, but any contribution for political purposes and including benefits is not. The Union should publish details annually about what proportion of the fees is deductible.
Thom
Indeed. For last year I just wrote a letter claiming relief for subscriptions and business travel and they paid without any quibble.
One point is that professional subscriptions are claimed on the employment form, and I think you can't get them unless you have a job!
Why shouldn't self-employed professionals subscribe to their professional bodies out of their pre-tax profit?
They can.
But I assume Stephen means that those with no employment income (unemployed) cannot claim?
You have to have "relevant income", which could be author's fees or consultancy fees. If you work as a bus driver and claim for the RICS, it would not be allowed, I fancy. On the other hand, if you did some part-time work on drawings for housing schemes, it would.
But I believe there is some possibility of getting the Benefits Agency or whatever they call themselves these days to pay it for you.
So I get tax refund on Trade Union subscriptions then?
On a portion of a bona fide TU subscription (e.g., my Union publishes on its web site and annually in its report what proportion is allowed, also local branch subscriptions are excluded as that's part of the local campaign funds).
Thom
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