Professional Fees Tax Relief Calculator
Membership fees to HMRC-approved professional bodies and learned societies usually qualify for tax relief when the membership is relevant to your job. Nurses (NMC/RCN), doctors (GMC), teachers, engineers and accountants are typical claimants.
Enter the annual fee and the years you want to claim for.
Memberships that typically qualify
- Statutory registrations — NMC (nurses and midwives), GMC (doctors), HCPC (paramedics, radiographers), GPhC (pharmacists), SSSC.
- Professional bodies on HMRC's approved list — RCN, BMA, teaching unions like the NEU and NASUWT (partial), engineering institutions (IMechE, IET, ICE), accountancy bodies (ACCA, ICAEW, CIMA).
- Learned societies where membership is genuinely needed for your role.
- Never qualify: gym memberships, trade association fees your employer pays, or bodies not on the list.
What the relief is really worth
Relief is the tax on the fee, not the fee itself. A £120 NMC registration costs you £96 after basic-rate relief; £72 after higher-rate relief. Nurses commonly combine this with the £125 uniform flat rate and the whole package is claimed in one form. If your employer pays or reimburses the fee, nothing is claimable — the relief exists to remove tax from money you personally had to spend to do your job.
Backdating and keeping it automatic
Four tax years back as always — and registration fees are beautifully documented (annual renewal confirmations), which makes evidence easy. After a first successful P87 claim HMRC usually adds the relief to your tax code, so the saving lands on your payslip every month from then on without further forms.
What this estimate can't tell you
- The organisation must be on HMRC's approved list.
- Your employer must not already pay or reimburse the fee.
- Relief is the tax on the fee — a £100 fee returns £20 to a basic-rate payer.
The free HMRC route
Everything this calculator estimates can be claimed directly from HMRC at no cost — usually online in a few minutes or via a short form. Refund companies charge a percentage of money that is already yours. We never handle claims and are not affiliated with HMRC.