Guides: claim it yourself, free
Written against primary sources (GOV.UK and HMRC manuals), checked on a fixed schedule, and always ending at the free official route — because the guide you reading is the whole product, not a funnel into a fee.
Tax codes
D0 and D1 tax codes explained — 40% & 45%
What D0 and D1 tax codes mean, when they're correct (second jobs, pensions), when they're errors costing you money, Scotland's S D0/S D1 variants, and how to fix them free.
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Tax codes
1257L tax code meaning — all about your pay
What the 1257L tax code really means, why £12,570 matters, when the code is right, when it hides an error, how it interacts with second jobs, benefits and past years.
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Tax basics
What is income tax? Rates, bands and how it works
UK income tax explained from zero: what counts as income, the Personal Allowance, the 20/40/45 bands, Scotland's six rates, the £100,000 taper, and NI vs income tax.
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Work expenses
Professional fees tax relief: claim back your subs
Tax relief on fees to HMRC-approved professional bodies — statutory registrations vs approved lists, what it's worth by tax band, backdating, stacking reliefs, and the free P87 route.
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Saving
Pension tax relief: the higher-rate top-up
Relief at source explained, how much extra 40% and 45% (and Scottish) taxpayers can personally claim, backdating four years, net pay vs salary sacrifice, and the free routes.
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Life changes
Leaving the UK? Claim your P85 refund
Why leaving the UK mid-tax-year usually triggers a refund, the exact P85 process, worked arithmetic, split-year exceptions, timings and the traps to avoid.
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Work expenses
Working from home tax relief: the £6 rule
HMRC's £6-a-week flat rate explained, who qualifies since 2022-23, the COVID years still claimable inside the four-year window, what it's really worth, and the free claim route.
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Couples
Marriage Allowance: £252 a year couples keep missing
How the £1,260 Personal Allowance transfer between spouses works, the full eligibility checklist (including Scotland), per-year savings, backdating and the free application.
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CIS
CIS tax rebate guide: claim it yourself, free
How Construction Industry Scheme deductions create refunds averaging four figures, which expenses subcontractors can claim, and the free Self Assessment route step by step.
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Work expenses
Mileage tax relief: the 55p rule explained
HMRC's approved mileage rates (55p/25p cars from 2026/27, 45p/25p before; 24p motorcycles, 20p bicycles), which journeys qualify, how employer payments cut the claim, evidence rules and the free route.
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Work expenses
Uniform tax rebate: who qualifies and how to claim
HMRC's flat-rate uniform allowance fully explained — eligible jobs, rates by occupation, what the relief is really worth, four-year backdating and the free P87 claim.
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PAYE
UK tax codes explained in plain English
Every common UK tax code decoded — 1257L, BR, D0, D1, K codes, S and C prefixes, W1/M1 emergencies — and the warning signs that a wrong code is costing you money.
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PAYE
P800 tax refunds explained — and how to check first
What a P800 really is, when HMRC sends them, what triggers over and underpayments, how to spot fakes, and the free way to claim what a P800 shows.
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Claiming
How to claim a UK tax refund free from HMRC
Every legitimate UK tax refund can be claimed free from HMRC — online, by phone or by post. Exactly how, what you need, timings, and how refund companies really work.
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