Doctors can claim tax back on many work related expenses including GMC, BMA and Royal college fees. Some doctors may be able to claim tax back on exam costs and mileage costs.
In this article Dr Ed Cantelo, GP, Chartered Accountant and Medics’ Money co-founder tells you how doctors can save thousands of pounds by claiming tax back.
Why might doctors be able to claim tax back?
You might expect that as an employed doctor, your employer (the NHS) will make sure you pay the right amount of tax. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case and as you will discover it’s possible to claim tax rebates worth thousands of pounds, but only if you claim it yourself. We will tell you how you can claim a doctor’s tax rebate yourself, online, for free. You don’t need an accountant to do this and you don’t need to pay someone else to do it for you.
With some doctors pay decreasing by up to 30% in the last 10 years https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/pay/junior-doctors-pay-scales/fair-pay-for-junior-doctors-in-england it’s more important than ever that doctors claim tax back on everything they are legitimately entitled to. But unless you submit the claim, you will not get a tax rebate.
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What can doctors claim tax back on?
There’s a surprising amount that doctors can claim tax back on and this typically includes:
- Professional fees and subscriptions – such as GMC and Royal College subscriptions
- Examination expenses
- Expenses for work related travel
- Repairing and replacing equipment
How do I claim?
Thanks to Medics’ Money’s unique step by step guide, it’s possible to claim yourself online for free.
Download the guide here: https://www.medicsmoney.co.uk/free-guide/
The guide also comes with loads of resources and link to podcasts like this one to help you claim tax back online yourself for free.
In general doctors can claim tax back on all those subscription fees, to the BMA and Royal Societies for example, are eligible for tax deductions. These can really add up, and some doctors will be able to claim up to 45% tax back on such costs!
Join 30,000 other doctors and download our free step by step guide to claiming a tax rebate here.
Can doctors claim a tax rebate for exams?
In the past, HMRC has always refused to allow examination expenses to be claimed back, despite them being vital to the job. However, in 2010, to the surprise of everyone, a very lucky doctor took HMRC to court and actually won! So now doctors can claim tax back on mandatory courses and exams (that can seriously add up of course). It’s worth noting that not all courses and exams will be eligible for a tax deduction, as there’s still a few outstanding exams that they will refuse to allow!
These are all well and good, but what time-frame are doctors allowed to make tax deductible claims in?
You can claim for the previous four tax years with a tax year running from 6 April to 5 April the following year. You can also make a claim for the current tax year that we are in e.g. if you make the claim in August 2022 you can claim for:
- The tax year 6 April 2018 to 5 April 2019
- The tax year 6 April 2019 to 5 April 2020
- The tax year 6 April 2020 to 5 April 2021
- The tax year 6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022
- The current tax year 6 April 2022 to 5 April 2023. You may wish to hold off with this year until after 5 April 2023 however as you may incur further expenses later in the year.
Doctors can save enormous amounts, especially if they’ve not claimed for any of the previous four tax years.
Note that if your claims in any given tax year total more than £2,500 and you’ll need to submit your claim via self-assessment for that tax year.
Can doctors claim tax back on uniforms, work clothing, and tools?
It is critical to note that you cannot claim the initial cost of buying any tools or clothing for work, for example the initial purchase of a stethoscope. You can, however, claim the cost of repairing or replacing such items.
You can claim tax back on the relevant costs of keeping your uniform clean and functional also, since maintaining your uniform takes both time and money. Note that if the workplace offers a laundry service and you don’t use it, you will no longer be eligible to claim tax back on it.
Can doctors claim tax back on using your vehicle for work?
Doctors can claim “mileage allowance” on certain allowable travel expenses. You can find out more about this here.
Note that normal commuting to the workplace is not included among the miles that you can claim for mileage. This means that travel for a home visit will count, but not the regular commute to the surgery if you’re a GP.
How can you get started on your claim?
Medics’ Money offers a free, instant estimate of how much you’d be able to claim back. Almost always the answer is yes, it’s worth doing!
You can find out how much you’d be able to claim tax back on here!
You can then use our free guide to take you step-by-step through the process of making your claim. Get it here.
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