TAX rebate for washing your uniform...

[muzzy]

Has anyone here tried claiming a tax rebate for washing their work uniform?

I worked as a Baker for Morissons before joining RM last week and for the last couple of years Morissons decided to save some money by making us wash our own Whites! A ridiculous idea as you could never get them properly clean, prior to this they would get sent weekly to a specialist firm that would wash them at very high temperatures and using special degreasing detergents.

Anyway... just after I left 2 months ago I found out that all employees were filling in tax rebate forms and in some instances they reckon they would get back over £500 going back 6 years, so im just about to make a claim even though I have left them I can still claim.

so this brings me to the above question, anyone here tried it? Got to be worth a shot, you can claim back up to 6 years.

more details here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sho ... hp?t=27967" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[wayoutman]

did it a few months back, i backdated 4 years to when i started at RM.

its worth about £30 per year in your pocket.

spend it wisley

[RobertT]

I believe the CWU arranged for our personal tax code to be increased a few years ago after the abolition of cleaning vouchers, so claiming back tax should not be neccesary.

[POSTMAN]

Yes,should already have it...
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... =1&t=35424" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[muzzy]

ahh so its already taken care off in the tax code, i cant check mine until tomorrow as i left my payslip at work to check something.

so what SHOULD a standard postmans tax code be? reading through different discussions on here ive noticed some people appear to have different codes from others

[POSTMAN]

As a rule 99% of us would have the same tax code,below is what i wrote about mine...

Last year: 0659l
This year: 0759l

Normal should be 0747l so i guess i've still got the cleaning allowance.

More details...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAnd ... /DG_078571" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RobertT]

The standard tax code for everyone under 65 is £7,475, but our code should be £7,595.

[muzzy]

right, so we get a £120 per year cleaning allowance? that seems a lot considering i can only claim back £60 per year for washing my bakers whites which got filthy!

[POSTMAN]

Bakers union? They can't count anyway,i mean 13 in a dozen!

[RobertT]

right, so we get a £120 per year cleaning allowance?

No not really! It means we can earn an extra £120 before we start to pay tax. Income tax is paid at 20%, therefore the cleaning allowance is worth £24.

[muzzy]

right, so we get a £120 per year cleaning allowance?

No not really! It means we can earn an extra £120 before we start to pay tax. Income tax is paid at 20%, therefore the cleaning allowance is worth £24.

Ahh im with you, so not so good, but better than nout

[muzzy]

ok bit of an update on this.
I noticed last week my tax code had mysteriously changed from 0747L to BR CUM.
I just phoned Royal Mail HR and queried it, they told me to phone the tax office... so I did.

After a short discussion they agreed I should be back on the 0747L and they werent sure why it had changed.

I took the opportunity to point out it should actually be 0759L due to laundry of uniform which they agreed.
So im now being put on 0759l from next week.

Goes to show the TAX office work in mysterious ways, I wonder ho many posties are on 0747L and unaware they should be on 0759L, the HR dept told me that its not an automatic adjustment and you need to contact the tax office directly to get the extra £120 allowance.

anyone interested, the tax office number to avoid costly 0845 number from a mobile is 01355 359022 and the HR dept number is 0114 2418890

[Blue29]

ok bit of an update on this.
……… many posties are on 0747L and unaware they should be on 0759L, the HR dept told me that its not an automatic adjustment and you need to contact the tax office directly to get the extra £120 allowance.

Thanks for that muzzy. The tax bods at HMRC have kindly sent me out notification I'm being changed from 747L to 771L which in their words 'replaces' 747L. It's mentioned in the note the union has agreed with HMRC that it costs me £120 to do the job. Payslip is indeed 747L. I think a call to HMRC is in order.

[robg]

I've got 0759L CUM and get the cleaning allowance.

[Straight4ward]

Had a fella in our office who should have been prosecuted for claiming the allowance under false pretences.

I don’t think his uniform was ever washed once in the seven years I knew him. Thankfully, he's now retired.

Mind you it took the best part of the following year for his odour to finally leave the office by the same door.