New rules for working from home from April 2026
The rules on claiming tax relief for working from home are changing for the new 2026-27 tax year. In most cases, employees will no longer be able to claim relief for homeworking, although claims can still be made for the previous four tax years. The removal of the tax relief was announced in the Autumn Budget last year and it is estimated that some 300,000 taxpayers will be affected by the change.
Relief is only available if you have to work from home for your job, for example, if your role requires you to live far from the office or your employer does not provide an office to work from. You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home, including under flexible arrangements allowed by your contract.
Where eligible, you can claim for work-related household costs such as business phone calls or the additional gas and electricity used in your work area. You cannot claim for costs used for both private and work purposes, such as rent or broadband.
Tax relief can be claimed at £6 a week or for the exact amount spent, and the relief is calculated based on your income tax rate. For example, if you pay the 20% basic rate of tax and claim tax relief on £6 a week, you will get £1.20 per week in tax relief (20% of £6). Evidence is required for claims, including receipts or bills if claiming actual costs.
Claims for the current and previous tax years can be made through https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/claim-tax-relief-expenses/claim-any-other-expense. If you complete a self-assessment tax return, you must claim through your tax return instead. The new rules mark a return to stricter pre-pandemic rules when tax relief was only available when working from home was required and not optional.
