Mechanics have a hard time. People often think of them as modern cowboys and con artists. The truth is that the tax man is cheating them. Most of them buy their own tools, so they don't get tax refunds. It's also not a small amount. On average, a mechanic gets back over GBP800 for his or her tools.
Why aren't they aware of it? Many people think that the government will give back tax money that was overpaid. This is not true, though, and it is up to each person to get their tax back.
There are a lot of things that mechanics and hairdressers have in common, but most people won't be happy if you bring it up. In both cases, the staff is expected to bring their own tools. On the other hand, unlike combs and clippers, a mechanic's tools can easily cost more than GBP2000 per year. As cars get more complicated, so do the tools that are needed to fix them. What they might not know is that they can get a tax refund on that money.
What does it cost? Time to spit and tap my clipboard: that depends on how much the mechanic has spent. A tax refund company called Refunds Direct says that the average refund is GBP800, which is usually between 15 and 20 percent of the total cost of the tools.
Amazingly, getting this refund is a simple process. You don't have to be scared of the tax system.
There are services that offer "no win, no fee" and do all the hard work for you.
The person in charge of the service, Mike Oaten, explains: "There are about 180,000 mechanics in the UK, and I think this will affect the vast majority of them. The Revenue doesn't have to give the money back, and if people don't do something soon, the taxman will keep millions and millions of pounds."
"I'm glad to say that our service is really helping people. Every day, we send checks to people who wouldn't get them otherwise."
Are you eligible?
Do you buy your own tools, and if so, has your boss not paid you back?
Since you started buying your own tools, have you spent more than GBP2000?
You can only make a claim if you have the original receipts or a customer statement that says what the tool was, how much it cost, and when it was bought. Most suppliers can make it easy for you to get a statement.