Brits who have to wear a uniform at work could be entitled to reclaim £100s back in tax. Many workers do not realise they can actually claim 'tax relief' if they have to wash, repair and replace their work- as long as they meet certain criteria.

You don't have to have a job like a police officer or nurse to qualify for the incentive, and may even be able to claim tax back if you wear something like a branded t-shirt for your job. Money-saving guru has urged Brits to check if they're entitled to a rebate ahead of the end of the tax year, which is fast approaching (April 5).

The money-saving guru's MSE site warns not to pay claim firms, who will end up charging you a fee and keeping the majority of what you're due. Luckily, doing it yourself is pretty simple - and completely free.

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The government describes a uniform as a 'set of clothing that identifies you as having a certain occupation', adding: "You may also be able to claim for specialist clothing you need for work, even if it does not identify you as having a certain occupation, for example, overalls or safety boots." However, to claim tax relief for washing your uniform, you will need to meet four strict requirements:

• You wear a recognisable uniform that shows you've got a certain job. This could be a T-shirt with an employer logo or company name, or something like a pilot uniform.


• Your employer requires you to wear the uniform while working. Even if you only have to wear the uniform on one specific day within the tax year, you'll be eligible for a rebate.


• You have to buy, clean, repair, and replace your uniform yourself.


• You paid income tax in the year you're claiming for.

If you're self-employed, you can claim laundry expenses when filling out your self-assessment tax return - and do not need to claim via the rebate. "You cannot claim tax relief for the cost of laundering your own uniform or specialist clothing if your employer provides a free laundering service, and you choose not to use it," GOV UK added.

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According to , the standard flat-rate expense allowance for uniform maintenance is £60. "By claiming a uniform tax refund, you'll get back the amount of tax you would otherwise have paid on that £60," the publication added.

So, if you earn between £12,571 and £50,270 you'll be able to get 20 per cent of £60 back, which works out at £12. If you're a higher-rate taxpayer, you'll receive £24. "Since the £60 is a flat rate, you don't need to record and report the individual amounts you actually spend," .

You can also backdate your claim by up to four tax years, which means you only have until April 5 this year to claim relief for the 2020/2021 tax year. Some occupations, such as firefighters, dental nurses, and mechanics, have a higher tax rebate limit due to them requiring specialist uniform.

If you're backdating your uniform tax rebate, HMRC may send you a letter detailing how much you're entitled to and when you'll receive the funds. This may be in the form of a lump-sum or could be done by HMRC adjusting your tax code. This means you will be taxed less in the future and see a slight increase in your take-home pay.

For those only claiming for the current tax year, HMRC will tweak your tax code (which usually takes two days). However, when you see the increase in take-home pay will depend on when you get paid, and whether your employer receives your new tax code before the payroll cut-off date. "For example, if you get paid on the 25th of each month and your employer gets your new tax code on the 10th, it's likely to be applied that month, but if it only gets it on the 23rd, you'll likely have to wait another month," MSE explains.

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