When you complete your tax return for 2017-18, make sure you consider the following expenses. Sometimes they are overlooked.

• Approved subscriptions you are required to pay to professional organisations. You must have membership to do your job or it’s helpful for your work. You can’t claim tax back on fees or subscriptions you’ve paid to professional organisations not approved by HMRC or for: life membership subscriptions, fees or subscriptions you haven’t paid, e.g. your employer has paid for them. Approved organisations are listed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/professional-bodies-approved-for-tax-relief-list-3/approved-professional-organisations-and-learned-societies.
• If your employer pays less than HMRC’s approved mileage rates to reimburse you for the use of your own transport you can claim the difference. HMRC’s present approved rates are: cars 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and then 25p per mile; motor cycles 24p per mile; bicycles 20p per mile.
• If you are required to attend courses as part of your job, then you should be able to recover the course fees and travel expenses if either are not fully or partly reimbursed by your employer.

You may also be able to claim for:

• The cost of work uniforms and tools
• Travel and overnight expenses
• Costs of working at home, and
• Buying equipment that you use in your job.

In all cases, you must have met the cost and your employer has not fully reimbursed you.

Every little helps…