Claim Your Tax Back / Lesson 5 of 7
How to file a P87 claim
Fifteen minutes online, no accountant, no fee.
The short answer
- ✓ Use a P87 for expenses up to £2,500; above that, Self Assessment
- ✓ You need your employer's PAYE reference, which is on your payslip
- ✓ Claim each tax year separately, deducting anything reimbursed
- ✓ Keep receipts but do not send them with the claim
Which route applies to you
| Situation | How to claim |
|---|---|
| Total expenses £2,500 or less, no tax return | P87, online or by post |
| Total expenses over £2,500 | Must use Self Assessment |
| You already file a tax return | Put them on the employment pages |
| Uniform flat rate only | Often possible directly in your Personal Tax Account |
What you need before you start
- Your National Insurance number
- Your employer's name and PAYE reference, both on your payslip
- The tax years you are claiming for
- Amounts per category, and per year
- Anything your employer reimbursed, which must be deducted
How to fill it in
Your details and NI number
Employer details and PAYE reference
For each tax year claimed:
Flat rate expenses (uniform, tools)
Professional fees and subscriptions
Business mileage (shortfall only)
Working from home
Other expenses
Amounts reimbursed by your employer <- deduct theseClaim each year separately even when submitting together, because relief is calculated year by year against that year's tax position.
What happens next
For past years HMRC calculates the relief and repays, usually by bank transfer or cheque within a few weeks. For the current year it typically adjusts your tax code, so your take-home rises rather than money arriving. Ongoing claims such as a uniform allowance usually stay in your code for future years without being re-claimed.
The bit HMRC does not spell out
Do not send receipts with the claim. HMRC does not want them and sending them slows processing. Keep them: you need to be able to produce them if asked, and that is a different thing from submitting them up front. People delay claiming for months because they are trying to assemble a perfect evidence pack nobody asked for.
Common mistakes
- Not deducting reimbursements. Only your unreimbursed cost is claimable.
- Lumping years together. Relief is calculated per year.
- Sending receipts. Keep them, do not submit them.
- Using a P87 above £2,500. That must go through Self Assessment.
Try it on your own numbers
This is the same calculator as the full tool page, using 2026/27 rates.
What you can claim
Tax relief on job expenses your employer didn't reimburse. Updates as you type.
Business mileage only, commuting to your normal workplace doesn't count.
years (you can back-claim up to 4)
Estimated tax rebate
per year × year(s)
- Flat-rate expense
- Professional fees
- Mileage relief (AMAP)
- Deductible per year
Don't pay an agent 30%
A refund company would keep about of this. Claiming yourself on form P87 (or in your tax return) is free and you keep it all.
Estimate only. You must actually have incurred the costs; flat-rate amounts vary by job.
Key takeaways
- ✓ Use a P87 for expenses up to £2,500; above that, Self Assessment
- ✓ You need your employer's PAYE reference, which is on your payslip
- ✓ Claim each tax year separately, deducting anything reimbursed
- ✓ Keep receipts but do not send them with the claim
Check you have got it
3 quick questions. No score is kept, and you can change your mind.
1. Your total employment expenses for the year are £3,200. How do you claim?
2. Should you post your receipts with a P87?
3. Your employer reimbursed £200 of a £500 cost. What do you claim on?
Sources
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