Millions of workers have until Saturday to take action and claim back on hundreds of pounds. Anyone who worked from home during the coronavirus pandemic due to government restrictions is eligible to claim tax rebate - even if it was for just one day.

While workers have always been allowed to claim tax relief to help cover the costs of working from home, the rules were extended for the tax years of 2020/21 and 2021/22 to include people who worked from home because of lockdowns.

According to Money Saving Expert (MSE) people need to be aware that you can only claim back four tax years before the current one. This means the deadline to claim for the 2020/21 tax year is Saturday, April 5. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here

You can claim on costs of up to the flat rate of £6 per week (£312 for the year), without providing evidence. If His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) accepts your claim, you will receive a rebate at your tax level - the maximum being £140.40. You can claim for costs more than £6 per week, but you will need to provide evidence.

Who's eligible?

To claim you must be able to declare that you incurred extra costs due to working from home. According to MSE this could include:

  • The UK or your specific area was under lockdown
  • Your workplace was closed
  • You were told to isolate by NHS Test and Trace
  • You were self-isolating after being pinged by the NHS app

For the specific years in question MSE states that you can claim up to the entire year's worth of relief even if you only worked from home some of the time.

However, you are not eligible if:

  • You chose to work from home, even if that was because of Covid-19 restrictions
  • You didn't incur extra costs
  • Your employer covered your additional costs

How much could you get?

Because it is difficult to apportion extra costs such as heating and electricity, there is a flat rate of £6 per week which you do not need to provide receipts or evidence for.

If accepted by HMRC, how much you get depends on your tax bracket:

  • £1.20 a week for a basic 20% rate taxpayer (£62.40 a year)
  • £2.40 a week for a higher 40% rate taxpayer (£124.80 a year)
  • £2.70 a week for a top 45% rate taxpayer (£140.40 a year)

If you believe you had higher costs than £6 you can claim more, but you will need evidence. According to MSE this is "a much more laborious process".

How do I claim?

Most people can claim directly from HMRC for free using its online form. However, if you filed self-assessment tax returns for the years in question., you'll instead have to write to HMRC to correct your tax return/s. The deadline for claiming is Saturday, April 5.

MSE states: "HMRC has warned workers to watch out for online ads offering to make expenses claims for you. Not only will a third party charge you a fee, but you'll still be responsible for any claims made on your behalf – if it's done incorrectly, you could end up having to pay the full tax relief amount back." For more help on how to claim, you can visit the MSE website.