Your Questions Answered by TaxAssist Accountants

Are professional fees and subscriptions allowable for tax?

I am employed as a teacher and pay several professional fees and subscribe to a few journals such as Educate magazine. Am I entitled to tax relief on these payments?

Answer

You can claim tax relief on fees or subscriptions you pay - but only if you must have membership in order to do your job or it is helpful for your work. HMRC maintains a list of approved professional organisations which you can view online www.gov.uk/government/publications/professional-bodies-approved-for-tax-relief-list-3/approved-professional-organisations-and-learned-societies

You cannot claim tax back on fees or subscriptions you have paid to professional organisations not approved by HMRC, or for:

• life membership subscriptions
• fees or subscriptions you have not paid for yourself (for example, if your employer has paid for them)

You can make the claim on your tax return if you complete one. Otherwise, there is an option to do it online, by post or over the phone.

If you have multiple years to claim for or would like some support with claiming your expenses, please contact us on 01827 337222.

Information supplied by Cheryl Hopkins, Chartered Certified Accountant, TaxAssist Accountants. Advice shared in this article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayers’ circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take, action, as a result of reading this item, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.