Junior doctors can claim tax back on GMC, BMA, MDU, MPS, Royal college and examination expenses amongst other professional expenses, reducing the costs by up to 45% (48% in Scotland). But many of us doctors aren’t sure what you can claim, how to claim and how many years previous you can claim for.
Medics’ Money is run by Dr Tommy Perkins, and Dr Ed Cantelo, who is not only a GP but also a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser.
You can download our free step by step guide for doctors here to claim yourself, online for free.
What can junior doctors claim tax rebates on?
The most important point is that what you can claim depends on your employment status. The information in this article is for junior doctors on a training contract or recently qualified GP or Consultants. If you have been a Consultant, GP, Salaried GP, GP locum or locum doctor for a while the rules on what can be claimed are different and we would strongly advise using a specialist medical accountant.
Is there a list of what doctors can claim tax rebates on?
We’re often asked if there’s a definitive list of what doctors can claim tax rebates on. There isn’t as such, but HMRC does have a list of professional bodies approved for tax relief (List 3). Our free tax rebate guide helps you search this list so you claim back as much as possible. You can download your free guide here.
However List 3 isn’t very intuitive to search. For example the GMC appears in the M section as “Medical Council General”. Similarly, the BMA appears in the M section as “Medical Association British”. This makes it tricky to use, but our free guides give you speciality specific guidance on what you can claim to make things easier.
It’s important to realise that what you can claim depends on your employment status and if you are Self-employed or working via a Limited company we would STRONGLY advise you to use an accountant.
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How many years can I claim for?
HMRC impose strict time limits for claiming back tax – 4 previous tax years, listed below, plus the current tax year from 6th April 2024 to 5th April 2025.
| Expenses incurred in tax year | Claim by |
| Tax year 2020/21 (6/4/20 – 5/4/21) | 5/4/25 |
| Tax year 2021/22 (6/4/21 – 5/4/22) | 5/4/26 |
| Tax year 2022/23 (6/4/22 – 5/4/23) | 5/4/27 |
| Tax year 2023/24 (6/4/23 – 5/4/24) | 5/4/28 |
Start your claim today by downloading our free step by step guide to claiming tax rebates for doctors.
Do I need receipts?
Yes, as of 14 October 2024 HMRC changed the process. Now you must fill in a P87 form (printed) and send this with receipts. Download our step by step guide to reclaiming tax here which shows you how to do this.
What cannot be claimed?
There are some expenses that you may have incurred which you cannot usually claim for. These include, among other things, the following:
- Fees incurred for continuing professional development such as courses; if you have a trainee contract which specifically states you are required to complete specific training this may be allowable. If you are unsure and have spent a significant amount it would be worth getting advice from a specialist medical accountant.
- Fees which your employer has paid for you, for example through your study budget
- Fees for revision courses for exams or any expenses in connection with studying
- Fees for any diplomas taken that are not a requirement of you completing training. Examples would include botox training etc
If you have a significant amount of expenses that you’re not sure you can claim, we would recommend using a Medics’ Money accountant to maximise the amount you claim.
Is it worth claiming? YES
Get an instant estimate of how much you could save using our free rebate calculator.
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