I recently received a welcome tax relief for my individual Museums Association membership subscription – both for this year and several previous years.
I had always been put off by the idea of struggling with the forms, however times are now sufficiently tight for me to decided that it was worth having a go.
For me at least it was extremely easy. The HMRC website was clear and helpful and on the main page it said that you could be entitled to tax relief if ‘it’s very helpful to belong to an organisation whose activities are necessary to your work’.
As I don’t fill in a tax form and my expenses are under £1,000 all I had to do was write a letter. The advice suggests that all I will have to do in future is to call with my new subscription amounts.
In the letter I told them my job title, who I worked for and why it was desirable for my work that I was a member of the MA. I said how much I had paid for the years I was claiming and enclosed a copy of a subscription letter, a copy of a membership card and a copy of my job description and person specification (which says that it is desirable that I am an AMA). I also included my National Insurance number.
For me this short letter has produced very welcome results. If HM Revenue & Customs are prepared to help us to be members and keep up our professional knowledge and standards then I for one am not going to turn them down.
Carolyn Dalton, manager, Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery and MA rep for Yorkshire
I had always been put off by the idea of struggling with the forms, however times are now sufficiently tight for me to decided that it was worth having a go.
For me at least it was extremely easy. The HMRC website was clear and helpful and on the main page it said that you could be entitled to tax relief if ‘it’s very helpful to belong to an organisation whose activities are necessary to your work’.
As I don’t fill in a tax form and my expenses are under £1,000 all I had to do was write a letter. The advice suggests that all I will have to do in future is to call with my new subscription amounts.
In the letter I told them my job title, who I worked for and why it was desirable for my work that I was a member of the MA. I said how much I had paid for the years I was claiming and enclosed a copy of a subscription letter, a copy of a membership card and a copy of my job description and person specification (which says that it is desirable that I am an AMA). I also included my National Insurance number.
For me this short letter has produced very welcome results. If HM Revenue & Customs are prepared to help us to be members and keep up our professional knowledge and standards then I for one am not going to turn them down.
Carolyn Dalton, manager, Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery and MA rep for Yorkshire
