Tax refunds
What you can claim — and how we get it back
If you've paid for work-related costs out of your own pocket and not been fully reimbursed, there's a strong chance HMRC owes you money.
Mileage to temporary workplaces
If you use your own vehicle to travel to a temporary base or workplace, you can claim relief on the gap between HMRC's approved rate and anything your employer reimbursed. Your normal commute to a permanent posting doesn't qualify.
Uniform & workwear
If you wash or maintain your own uniform, a flat-rate allowance may apply. For many people this is already in your tax code, so we check carefully rather than over-claim.
Tools & equipment
Bought tools or equipment your employer didn't reimburse? Those costs are often claimable, especially in technical trades.
Professional fees & subscriptions
Membership of an approved professional body or union relevant to your role is claimable.
Our fee: , whichever is higher — charged only when your refund succeeds. HMRC pays your refund directly to you, in full; we invoice our fee afterwards, due within 14 days. No win, no fee means we don't charge you if HMRC doesn't pay a refund. It's worth knowing that HMRC can review a refund after it has been paid, and can ask for money back if a claim turns out not to have been valid. That's why we only submit claims we can evidence.
We don't take on claims worth less than £75 — after our minimum fee there wouldn't be enough left to be worth it for you. If yours is under that, we'll tell you, and tell you when to come back. When is a small claim worth it? →
You can claim a tax refund directly from HMRC yourself, for free, at gov.uk. We charge a fee because we do the work for you: we check what you can claim, prepare the evidence, and deal with HMRC on your behalf. If you'd rather do it yourself, that's a legitimate choice and we'd rather you knew.
Start your claim
It takes less than 5 minutes
We begin processing claims from . Submit now to join the queue and be first in line.
Thank you!
It doesn't look like there's a claim here — yet
You haven't attended any courses, training or detachments away from the unit you're assigned to. Travel between your home and the unit you're assigned to is ordinary commuting for tax purposes — the same as any civilian travelling to their normal place of work. If you're assigned to a ship, that ship counts as your permanent workplace, so home-to-ship travel isn't claimable however far it is. This is the law for everyone, not a WiseReturn rule.
You don't have a main home you live in and return to, so there's no journey to a temporary workplace to claim for.
You didn't personally pay for travel, meals or accommodation, or you were fully reimbursed for what you did pay. Tax relief only covers costs you bore yourself and weren't paid back for.
When to come back — any of these changes the answer:
- A shore draft
- A course, training or detachment away from your unit
- A joint or tri-service course
- Getting married where one of you earns under the personal allowance
- Starting to pay a professional subscription yourself
You can claim back four tax years. 2022/23 must be claimed by 5 April 2027.
Screening can't capture every situation. If your circumstances are unusual — an assignment that changed part-way through, or a complicated posting history — get in touch and I'll look at it properly.
If your claim is likely to be small, here's when it's worth claiming →