What exactly can you claim on your taxes for Uber?
As an Uber driver, you should file a Self Assessment tax return on any earnings you make over £1,000. Although there’s a lot of debate about whether Uber drivers are employed or self-employed, HMRC still requires all drivers to declare their earnings.
One of the benefits of paying your taxes yourself with a tax return is that you can claim back some of the money you spend at work for what’s known as expenses. By doing this, you reduce the tax you pay. HMRC states that any expenses incurred ‘wholly and exclusively…for the purpose of trade’ can be claimed back on your tax return. But what does that mean exactly?
Self-employed workers are required to complete a Self Assessment tax return for HMRC each year to declare any earnings made, and this includes Uber drivers too. One of the benefits of doing your own taxes is that you’re able to claim back some of the costs as expenses – as long as you can prove that they are business expenses, you can pretty much deduct anything.
It’s important that you keep a record of any business costs you’ve incurred, such as invoices and receipts. You may need to submit these as proof when filing your tax return.
So what expenses can you claim? Well, there’s quite a list, but they can be split into two categories as an Uber driver: car-related expenses and ride-related expenses.
The question that gets asked most by Uber drivers is whether you can claim the actual cost of your car as an expense. Most Uber drivers already have a personal car that they’ll use for their job, so you can claim a portion of your car cost based on the amount you paid.
However, you cannot claim the full amount in one tax year. Instead, you can claim for a portion of your car’s cost (including fuel, maintenance and repairs) using either the Mileage Allowance and/or Capital Allowances. If you’re claiming the Mileage Allowance, check out our calculator.
Other car-related expenses you can claim include:
These expenses include:
You claim when you complete your Self Assessment tax return online. All Uber drivers must register with HMRC to declare their earnings by 5th October. You do this to declare your earnings in the tax year that’s just ended.
Once you’ve registered, HMRC will send you what’s known as a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number in the post. You will then use this to file your tax return by 31st January. If you don’t submit your tax return by HMRC’s deadlines, you’ll get an automatic £100 penalty, plus any additional penalties and interest on the tax you owe.
You can work out how much Income Tax you’ll pay by using our handy Uber Income Tax calculator!
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