15 Oct 2020
HMRC has received over 54,800 claims from customers using a new online portal that allows employees to claim tax relief for working at home.
The portal, which was launched on 1 October, has been set up to process tax relief on additional expenses for employed workers who have been told to work from home by their employer during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
From 6 April 2020, employers have been able to pay employees up to £6 a week tax-free to cover additional costs if they have had to work from home.
Employees who have not received the working from home expenses payment direct from their employer can apply to receive the tax relief from HMRC.
HMRC has also confirmed that the £6 per week is available in full, even if an employee splits their time between home and the office.
Commenting on the portal, HMRC's Interim Director General of Customer Services, Karl Khan, said: 'We want everyone to get the money that they are entitled to, so we've made the online service as easy to use as we can – it takes just a few minutes to make a claim.'
The portal can be found at www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home.