Tax Rebate Calculator
Estimate your HMRC tax refund for 2025/26. Check uniform expenses, working from home relief (last year before abolition), tools, mileage, and professional subscriptions. Use flat rate allowances or enter custom expenses. Backdate up to 4 years.
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How to Use This Calculator
Quick Estimate tab
Enter your annual salary (to determine your tax band), then toggle on the expense categories that apply to you: uniform/protective clothing, tools, working from home, professional subscriptions, and mileage. Enter the amounts for each category. The calculator instantly shows your estimated refund per year. Use "More options" to select the tax year and number of years to claim (backdate up to 4 years).
Flat Rate Expenses tab
Select your occupation from the dropdown to see the HMRC flat rate allowance for your industry (EIM32712). Choose your tax band and the calculator shows your annual tax saving and the total if you backdate over multiple years. No receipts are needed for flat rate claims — HMRC has agreed fixed amounts for each occupation.
Custom Claim tab
Enter specific expense items with names and amounts for a detailed P87 claim estimate. Add as many items as you need. The calculator totals your allowable expenses, applies your marginal tax rate, and tells you whether to use form P87 (under £2,500) or Self Assessment (over £2,500).
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The Formula
Tax rebates reduce your taxable income. The actual saving depends on your marginal tax rate:
Example at basic rate (20%):
£500 allowable expenses × 20% = £100 refund
Example at higher rate (40%):
£500 allowable expenses × 40% = £200 refund
Common flat rate expenses:
Uniform washing allowance: £60/year (standard)
Healthcare workers (nurses, HCAs): £125/year
Ambulance staff: £185/year
Cabin crew: £720/year, Pilots: £1,022/year
Construction (joiner/carpenter): £140/year
Police officers: £140/year
Working from home (flat rate):
£6/week × 52 = £312/year allowance
Basic rate: £312 × 20% = £62.40/year
Higher rate: £312 × 40% = £124.80/year
NOTE: Abolished from 6 April 2026 — 2025/26 is the last year
Mileage:
45p/mile for first 10,000 business miles
25p/mile for each mile over 10,000
Claim = HMRC approved amount − employer payments
Professional subscriptions:
Actual annual fee × your tax rate
Must be on HMRC approved List 3
You can claim for the current tax year (2025/26) plus up to 4 previous years back to 2021/22. Claims under £2,500 use form P87; claims over £2,500 require a Self Assessment tax return.
Example
James — Construction worker, basic rate taxpayer
James is a carpenter earning £38,000. He washes his own work clothes, uses his own tools costing £200/year, works from home one day a week on paperwork, and drives 5,000 business miles per year (employer pays nothing). He pays £186/year to CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building). He has never claimed any tax relief.
Quick Estimate tab
Because James's total claim exceeds £2,500 per year, he would need to file a Self Assessment tax return rather than a P87 form. If he excluded mileage (claiming only uniform, tools, WFH, and subscription = £838/year), he could use the simpler P87 form.