Tax Deductibles For Cabin Crew – As an airline employee, you may qualify to claim work-related tax deductions. What can Aircrew claim? Find out in this helpful guide.
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Tax Deductibles For Cabin Crew & Airline Flight Crew Personnel
Airline crew who work onboard airlines travelling overseas for commercial or private charters may well be able to claim tax refunds on work-related expenses. What they depend on your position, whether you are a pilot or flight attendant. Read on to discover the lowdown on flight crew personnel tax deductions.
What Tax Refunds Can Airline Pilot’s Claim in the UK?
Effective from 2013/14 onwards, Flat Rate Expenses allowance (FRE) that applies to all uniformed pilots and co-pilots have been increased to £1,022, as agreed by the HMRC and the British Airline Pilot’s Association.
A further deduction of £110, previously £100, is made to cover the allowable cost of travel to certain, regular specified events, which are: medical examinations, flight simulator sessions, crew resource management training (CRM), emergency and safety equipment training (SEP), technical refresher sessions, and fire and smoke training (F&S).
In the event that travel expenses exceed £110, pilots are entitled to relief based on the actual journey, provided they can vouch for the actual expenses incurred.
Pilots and co-pilots are also entitled to other tax deductions, such as the following:
- Replacement of uniforms. The industry-wide FRE £1,022 covers the cost of replacement, cleaning, and laundering of uniforms, but not the initial cost. In the event that a company requires their crew to wear a uniform but does not provide one, pilots and co-pilots are entitled to a deduction for the cost of replacement under Section 336 ITEPA 2003, but not the initial
purchase. - Noise-cancelling headsets. Although deemed important, not all employers provide noise-cancelling headsets, which is why it is not covered by the FRE. Pilots who bought the headsets themselves, however, are entitled to relief through the capital allowances and the £1,022 FRE.
Other expenses and capital items eligible for relief aircrew can claim to include:
- Equipment: Torch, CRP5, Kneeboard, Trifold, Chart plotters, Mileage scale rule, Atlas, Protractors/ dividers, Pens, Travel iron, Calculator, Stopwatch, Clipboard
- Sunglasses
- Reference Material (when used at work)
- Currency Commission
- Duplicate Passport
When employers provide most of the equipment required, a pilot’s FRE will be reduced accordingly.
Are luggage and computers tax deductibles for cabin crew and pilots? Since both items are not considered used in the actual performance of duties, which is to fly an aircraft from one destination to another, they do not qualify for tax relief.
In case a flight deck crew wishes to obtain relief for the actual cost of allowable items, rather than take advantage of the FRE, deductions will be based solely on the actual, vouched, qualifying cost of a particular tax year. Qualifying cost refers to deductions due under Section 336 ITEPA 2003 and Section 36 CAA 2001.
What tax back can Cabin Crew claim in the UK?
Similar to pilots and co-pilots, industry-wide FRE for airline cabin crew (steward and stewardess) has also been increased to £720 as agreed by the HMRC and the Unite union.
The £720 FRE includes the cost of cleaning and laundering of uniform, but not the initial cost. Similar to the case of the flight deck crew, if the airline requires staff to wear a uniform but does not provide one, employees who buy them are entitled to a
deduction for the cost of replacement under Section 336 ITEPA 2003, but not the initial purchase.
What’s considered a uniform for aircrew?
What is considered is a uniform is a set of clothing that will make a cabin crew instantly recognisable as wearing a uniform by any person in the street. Deductions, however, only cover what is part of a uniform and excludes socks, underwear, and shoes from the equation.
Between a pilot and a flight attendant, the tax treatment is fairly easy on a flight attendant. Still, to avoid penalties and problems, consultation with tax experts is highly recommended.
Cabin crew can claim refunds back up to 4 previous tax refunds
Air Crew who have expenses they’re eligible to claim can do so for up to four previous tax years. At Tax Back, we offer a no refund, no fee service meaning you have nothing to lose. Find out today if you can claim a tax refund for seafarers.
Complete a Cabin crew Tax Refund Application Online
For the most recent article see Tax Deductibles for Flight attendants