Tax Return - Wear & Tear

[CH1957]

I read a thread on here a few weeks ago (cant find it now) that said if you didnt have any children of your own you could claim a higher percentage than the usual 10% for wear & tear for your home?
Can anyone confirm that please? Been trying to ring the Tax Office but just get put on hold!

[aly]

no i dont think thats true, 10% is the only amount you claim.

[cathtee]

Sorry, never heard that one, always read 10% for it would be nice if it was more :)

[MrAnchovy]

I read a thread on here a few weeks ago (cant find it now) that said if you didnt have any children of your own you could claim a higher percentage than the usual 10% for wear & tear for your home?
Can anyone confirm that please? Been trying to ring the Tax Office but just get put on hold!

No, not wear and tear, it's a higher percentage of rent, council tax etc. plus you can claim additional expenses such as mortgage interest. You have to do a detailed calculation of how much of your home you use and for what proportion of the time.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Wear and tear is for the furniture, curtains etc and it is only 10% regardless of the number of children that you have, yours or others

[CH1957]

No, not wear and tear, it's a higher percentage of rent, council tax etc. plus you can claim additional expenses such as mortgage interest. You have to do a detailed calculation of how much of your home you use and for what proportion of the time.


Thanks Mr Anchovy, I knew there was something extra. I use every room, apart from my bedroom, as its a bungalow. Can you direct me to how to do the calculations on a website - couldnt find anything on HMRC, just the usual percentages.
Thanks.

[Trpta108]

Can we claim the percentage of rent, when we receive housing benefit?

[MrAnchovy]

Thanks Mr Anchovy, I knew there was something extra. I use every room, apart from my bedroom, as its a bungalow. Can you direct me to how to do the calculations on a website - couldnt find anything on HMRC, just the usual percentages.
Thanks.

HMRC's guidance on this is here (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim47800.htm), but beware it is quite complicated and the examples they give are worked in a way that is not very helpful to the taxpayer so I always recommend that you go through your specific circumstances with an accountant to make sure that you claim what you are entitled to (I can't do that here (http://www.mranchovy.com/about/legal/professional-advice) I am afraid).

If you really want to go it alone, Example 6 here (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/BIM47825.htm) is probably the best one to follow as it recognises the fact that if you use a room 50 hours a week for work and 10 hours for private use you can potentially claim 50/60 of the cost, not 50/168 (as HMRC tried to insist when one member of this forum asked for their 'help'; 168 = 24 x 7 btw).

[CH1957]

Thanks MrA, I used to work for an accountant and phoned him today to ask the question - his answer "I have no idea how to work out the figures"!! No hope for any of us really.

[MrAnchovy]

Thanks MrA, I used to work for an accountant and phoned him today to ask the question - his answer "I have no idea how to work out the figures"!! No hope for any of us really.

Most accountants that have a number of self employed clients working from home - freelancers, authors, barristers as well as childminders - are well practiced in this, but lots of accountants don't deal with self employed businesses.