Does your role require you to wear a uniform for work? If you answered yes, then you could be owed money!

Thousands of people in the UK each year wear a work uniform every single day, but are not taking advantage of the deduction in tax available to those who care for their own work uniforms. If you wear a uniform and are ready to make some savings, then carry on reading.

Who’s eligible?

There are a few basic criteria you must meet to start claiming back tax. You must live and work in the UK, and be employed by someone else, and finally, your role must require you to wear a uniform which you are responsible for cleaning/washing or repairing. If your employer provides you with facilities to clean your own uniform, then you cannot claim – even if you don’t use those facilities.

What counts as a uniform?

According to gov.uk a uniform is classed as a set of ‘specialised clothing that’s recognisable as identifying someone as having a particular occupation’. This covers most keyworkers, as well as other uniformed professions such as pilots and air hostesses.

However, their is a key distinction between wearing a recognisable uniform and just wearing a uniform. The gov.uk website goes on to distinguish that ‘a uniform is not clothing of a similar design or colour that you must wear for work.’ If you’re unsure whether your workwear counts as a identifiable uniform, then you check their list of industries and occupations here.

Please note – PPE is not included in this.

Is the tax deduction industry dependent?

In a nutshell – yes! The tax deduction you’ll receive for washing your uniform does depend on the industry you work in, and then also your specific role. This is worked out dependent on the amount of uniform your role requires you to wear, and how involved it is to keep clean.

How do I claim tax back for washing uniform?

If you believe you’re eligible to start claiming tax back for washing your uniform, then fill in the gov.uk online form here.

Once you’ve successfully registered, you should received a letter confirming a change in your tax code. You’ll then start paying less tax in the future.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes – if you work in the armed forces, then the cost of maintaining your uniform is already worked into your tax code. So there’s nothing you need to do!

If you have any further questions around claiming back tax, we recommend checking out the gov.uk website for full details.