Any Doctors? Claiming tax back for courses / exams / professional fees etc

[A210AMG]

Hello

Recently my wife has another course to attend, asked to do this from work (she's a doctor). Now the course fee we 'should' apparently get back most of the (£690) but the exam, overnight accomodation in London and travel down we will not (around £700). We also have to pay out for a trip to London once a week for 2 months £75 each time but again should get this back at the end??

Then it got be thinking, the amount we spend on books for these courses / exams / her medical equipment she has bought.

Also her membership to the Medial councils for insurance every year.


It all adds up to quite a large amount of money...



Now when she was working full time, all hrs god sends with nights / on calls etc her overall salary you would not mind as much. For the has 2.5yrs however since our little one arrive she has moved to a desk based job part time and nothing like the salary.


So my question, can I claim tax back on the above? can it be back dated? would we have to prove fees / equipment with recipts?


I've only dealt with a self assesment form once and it was a nightmare so any help appreciated..


OOH and is at the end of this is it worth the trouble? Tell you what the more I have heared about the NHS I just shake my head.


Thanks in advance

 

[wemorgan]

I hope this is of relevance:

I'm a self employed engineer. I claim expenses, through my own Ltd company, on my professional membership fees, travel expenses, IT equipment and training.

So if her employer is limiting the type of expense she is able to claim then I would check her contract of employment T&Cs. Normally the employer would get the tax deductions for these expenses and the employee fully reimbursed for their costs.

At the end of each tax year I sign off the accounts. So I presume after this further amendments, such as additional expenses, can not be claimed.

 

[PXW]

Depends a bit on what she is doing now - especially, is she employed or self employed. If the former, the test for getting a tax deduction is, IIRC, that the expense is incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily for the purposes of the employment. For self-employed, the test is just wholly and exclusively.

So the course fees could be deductible as part of compulsory continuing professional education, for example, but the ancillary costs of getting there, hotel etc are more questionable. If the employer has dictated that she goes and incurs the costs it might be a little different - but then presumably the employer would pay out on expenses?

 

[Rory]

Recently my wife has another course to attend, asked to do this from work (she's a doctor).

Was she asked, as in told, or asked, as in it being completely voluntary?

If the former, then surely she would be able to claim back all out of pocket expenses from her employer?

I have to say though, that my daughter works for the NHS and she is always very reluctant to claim stuff. Her managers will give her as much study leave as she wants but they won't pay out for anything. She doesn't even bother to claim the minimal mileage that she does.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

She was told to do it as it will enhance her work...

Given where I work / have worked are to different (they pay for all courses / expenses no problems) the NHS just seems so backward. Even when she was on maternity leave they got that all wrong and when I rang up it was as if she was the first doctor ever to become pregnant.....all very frustrating.

 

[Satch]

Tax treatment of particular occupations

Section EIM61000 onwards

(And no I do not work for HMRC, damn you.....)

 

[Rory]

Hello

She was told to do it as it will enhance her work...

Given where I work / have worked are to different (they pay for all courses / expenses no problems) the NHS just seems so backward. Even when she was on maternity leave they got that all wrong and when I rang up it was as if she was the first doctor ever to become pregnant.....all very frustrating.

Two other members of our family are *very* senior NHS managers. Bet they don't get their expenses denied.

I get the impression that finance will pay things that reach them - it's just a matter of getting the forms filled in and then the (not trivial) job of getting the various signatures needed and managers to pass the forms along.

Mind you my daughter got paid practically double one month - she was working 24/7 shifts and they paid her flat time as well as her shift pay. She really did try very hard to get it corrected but got nowhere. It's documented in emails in case there's ever any comeback.

 

[alanf]

Tell her to go on the trip and have a few hours in Whitehall. There are a lot of people around there who can give her top notch advice on claiming expenses.

Alan

 

[IanA2]

BMA fees, MPS/MDU fees and GMC fees are all claimable. Part I II or III courses/ Membership exams &/or materials & assoc costs (eg hotels) are not. HMRC take the view that this is career enhancing as opposed to work related.