September, and the beginning of a new academic year usually means a familiar list of costs that can be claimed for teacher tax rebate. This includes:
- Union renewals
- Replacement kit
- Mileage between sites
- CPD courses and additional training.
All these costs can be claimed back from HMRC, and a lot of teaching staff, assistants and support teams go years without claiming. This is often because no one informs teachers what they can claim, and what costs qualify for tax relief.
So, we’re here to do exactly that. This guide covers what a teacher tax rebate can include in the UK, how far you can backdate it, and some common mistakes to avoid, so claims go through cleanly the first time around.
What a teacher tax rebate can include each year
Every year, teachers can claim on tax for several costs, and here’s how it works.
Can I claim tax relief from HMRC for paying union fees?
Yes, and it’s one of the most reliable parts of a teacher tax rebate, often missed when claiming on tax with HMRC.
Fees paid to bodies on HMRC’s List of approved professional organisations are deductible in full and not at a flat rate. That includes teaching unions such as the National Education Union (NEU) and National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), along with relevant subject associations and chartered teaching bodies.
If your employer doesn’t cover these fees, you can claim the whole subscription back through tax relief. If they do cover partial costs, you can claim the balance you’ve funded yourself. Every qualifying body you belong to has its own separate claim, and they can all be added to the same form, so list everything you pay into rather than just an obvious one.
What happens if I need to replace uniform or kit?
This one is for PE teachers, or teachers who wear branded or protective kit for your role. You can claim a flat rate towards laundering and replacing it. This covers the ongoing costs of keeping existing kit going, so it’s worth building into your annual claim every year rather than a one-off.
Can teachers claim mileage or travel costs?
If your role has you moving between locations during your workday, such as supply teaching across schools, covering a second site, or travelling to a pupil referral unit, it’s very easy for that mileage to add up. Typically, this is claimable at HMRC’s approved rates, which has now increased to 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in a tax year.
For anyone splitting their time across more than one site, this is often the single biggest component of a teacher tax rebate.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and training that expands a current role
HMRC will allow tax relief on training that maintains or updates skills you already use day-to-day. This can be courses and training on topics like:
- Safeguarding
- Subject-specific updates
- Existing responsibilities.
If you’ve self-funded anything like this recently or are preparing to undergo further training this academic year, check if it qualifies as part of your teacher tax rebate before assuming it doesn’t, and potentially losing out.
A few things to get right before you claim your teacher tax rebate
A small number of costs don’t meet HMRC’s bar for a teacher tax rebate, and knowing what they are upfront can save your claim from being queried later.
Reimbursed costs: Anything that a department budget, PTA fund or your employer has already paid back, even partially, can’t be claimed again.
General classroom resources: This includes books stationery and display materials bought for the classroom. They are regarded as things a school should provide and not a personal employment cost, meaning they often don’t qualify.
Everyday working from home: Marking at home in the evenings is common for many teachers, however HMRC will have a set approach to judge if it can be claimed on. Their test is if your employer requires it and gives you nowhere else to work, and since schools generally provide a workspace, this one rarely gets through.
Training for a new qualification: Relief covers keeping your current skills up to date. It doesn’t include funding a new course towards a different role, for example a SENCO qualification.
Can supply teachers or teaching assistants claim tax relief?
Yes, as the same rules apply to anyone employed through PAYE. This means if you’re a supply teacher, a teaching assistant, or another member of support staff, you can claim teacher tax rebate just like permanent classroom teachers. Union and professional subscriptions, replacement kit, and relevant CPD all follow the same eligibility as above.
Mileage is often especially worthwhile for supply staff, since moving between different schools for short-term placements can rack up significant business mileage over a term. Where journeys to temporary workplaces are involved, the rules around what counts as temporary can be more complicated than a straightforward commute, so it’s always important to check.
How do teachers claim a tax rebate, and how far back can they claim?
For most teachers, this goes through form P87, which can be submitted online (via your Personal Tax Account), or by post, provided your total employment expenses for the year stay under £2,500.
If your expenses go above that threshold, you’ll need to register for Self Assessment, and claim your teacher tax rebate through a full tax return instead.
Union fees claimed as part of a Self Assessment tax return are entered in the same way, so if you already file a return, there’s no need for a separate P87.
Two things to consider when filing teacher tax rebate
You can backdate a teacher tax rebate up to four tax years. If you’ve never claimed your union fees before, this allows you to pick up what you’ve missed in previous years. If you’d like some help with this, get in touch with a tax accountant who can work through backdating your claims.
A successful claim usually adjusts your tax code. This means that teacher tax relief will land through your salary automatically going forward, rather than as a one-off refund. It’s important to understand this when evaluating your monthly pay.
Get your teacher tax rebate right before you submit it
Claimed properly, a teacher tax rebate adds up to worthwhile money back over the course of a career. If you get it right the first time it’s straightforward, but getting it wrong means a lot of back-and-forth with HMRC.
At Tax Driven Accountants, we help teachers and other PAYE employees work out exactly what their teacher tax rebate should include, get it backdated where possible, and get it submitted correctly. This could be a straightforward P87 or a full Self Assessment return.
If you’d like professional support with your tax rebate for the upcoming academic year, get in touch with us now and plan ahead before the schools open up again.
Contact us on 0800 999 1800 or send us an enquiry.
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