The final installation of our tax refund mini-series appears for the tax deductions accessible to other personnel in the nursing and healthcare sectors. Here, we appear at the amount you might claim again in case you are a Nurse, a Pharmacist or even a Pharmacy Technician on PAYE.
Nurses & Midwives
The majority of nurses working under PAYE can declare tax relief in excess of £300 using this service, but the figure rises to over £1,000 inside the case of more specialist roles such as midwives. As with all claims of this type, claimants need to make sure that they're paying tax via the PAYE system rather than through Self Assessment. For anyone who is unsure which of these tax systems you fall under, speak to your manager or HR department to find out.
Pharmacists
Pharmacists attract special tax relief, with many able to declare over £1,000 in tax relief against General Pharmaceutical Council membership fees alone. New recruits won't be entitled to nearly this amount, but the declare should still cover in excess of £250 in tax relief.
Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians can claim up to around £500 in tax relief provided they haven't claimed already in the last four years or so. The relief is somewhat lower than that available to fully-qualified pharmacists, and for the most part this reflects the lower subscription and membership costs incurred in joining the General Pharmaceutical Council.
How long does it take to claim tax relief?
It takes just a couple of minutes to complete an online tax refund application - then allow 10-12 working days for us to negotiate your refund with the tax office. Timescales tend to remain fairly static, but please do bear in mind that timescales tend to increase around January, when the tax office is particularly busy.
Claiming yours
If you're a nurse who pays tax through the PAYE system, and you wish to assert this tax relief, you should act fast because the deadline for claiming back to April 2008 is approaching. After 31 January 2013, you'll no longer be able to claim this far back again - only to 2009.
Does this apply to other jobs professions too?
Absolutely, HM Revenue & Customs has put in place special flat-rate tax allowances for a number of other professions in addition to healthcare. All of the major roles within the health care professions are eligible to claim - not just nurses and pharmacy staff.
