If you have employees who work at home sometimes, you can pay them a certain amount to reimburse them for the extra costs they incur without having to keep records. From 6 April the amount you can pay them tax free has increased.
"From 6 April 2008, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has increased the tax and NIC free guideline rate employers can pay home working employees without keeping records from £2 to £3 per week.
Employers can reimburse their employees who work regularly from home for the additional household expenses they incur without incurring an extra tax or NICs charge. The additional expenses that the employer may reimburse are those connected with the day to day running of the employee’s home. This might include additional costs of heating and lighting the work area, or additional insurance costs.
Because it might be difficult for employers to calculate the exact additional costs, HMRC has published a guideline rate that can be paid without the employer having to justify the amount paid or the employee having to keep any records to demonstrate the additional expenditure. The guideline rate is not a maximum amount and greater amounts can be paid where there is evidence to justify them."
If you're running your own business and working from home the likelihood is that you can claim far more than £3 a week from your business - give us a call if that could apply to you. But for employees occasionally working from home this is a good way to save a little bit of tax.