Discussion
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54876526
I’ve been saying from the start that pandemic induced WFH wouldn’t be a panacea and going back to the office would likely be a ‘thing’ despite many suggesting this was the start of a new WFH wave.
With nonsense like this we’re all going to be back WFO before we know it.
No mention of WFH being lonely, so you take your full lunch hour getting out, so still eat out.
I’ve worked from home 8 years now and usually when busy I eat out as making lunch takes up precious time.
No mention of heating and electric bills WFH.
It costs a fortune running IT all day.
No mention of insurance WFH with all the extra gear you need.
No idea as I pay lots of extra for prof indemnity etc, but at least £100 for WFH I’d say.
No mention of still needing a car or travel pass for the odd office or client runs etc.
No mention of the loss of home space. If you buy a bigger house then that adds costs.
I can easily see most savings of WFH being absorbed via the costs above.
And now you’ll need to pay 5% because you’re better off WFH.
Quite frankly I’d be wanting to be back in the office at that rate as all the benefits have gone.
I decided to work for myself years ago and WFH, and it was a saving on one hand, but a huge raft of downsides and costs on the other.
It certainly wasn’t a ‘bonus’ to be taxed on.
Would you pay 5% extra tax to WFH?
Are your employers currently paying you extra to cover incidental costs?
I’ve been saying from the start that pandemic induced WFH wouldn’t be a panacea and going back to the office would likely be a ‘thing’ despite many suggesting this was the start of a new WFH wave.
With nonsense like this we’re all going to be back WFO before we know it.
No mention of WFH being lonely, so you take your full lunch hour getting out, so still eat out.
I’ve worked from home 8 years now and usually when busy I eat out as making lunch takes up precious time.
No mention of heating and electric bills WFH.
It costs a fortune running IT all day.
No mention of insurance WFH with all the extra gear you need.
No idea as I pay lots of extra for prof indemnity etc, but at least £100 for WFH I’d say.
No mention of still needing a car or travel pass for the odd office or client runs etc.
No mention of the loss of home space. If you buy a bigger house then that adds costs.
I can easily see most savings of WFH being absorbed via the costs above.
And now you’ll need to pay 5% because you’re better off WFH.
Quite frankly I’d be wanting to be back in the office at that rate as all the benefits have gone.
I decided to work for myself years ago and WFH, and it was a saving on one hand, but a huge raft of downsides and costs on the other.
It certainly wasn’t a ‘bonus’ to be taxed on.
Would you pay 5% extra tax to WFH?
Are your employers currently paying you extra to cover incidental costs?
Edited by Mr Whippy on Wednesday 11th November 09:55
I don't agree with the tax but WFH is saving me a good £200-£300 per month, not including commuting time. All my equipment has been provided by my employer, we're getting £26pcm WFH allowance. I'm loving it.
I'm not sure why you need extra insurance or professional indemnity. if these are directly related to your employment they should be reimbursed by your employer.
I'm not sure why you need extra insurance or professional indemnity. if these are directly related to your employment they should be reimbursed by your employer.
Mr Whippy said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54876526
I’ve been saying from the start that pandemic induced WFH wouldn’t be a panacea and going back to the office would likely be a ‘thing’ despite many suggesting this was the start of a new WFH wave.
With nonsense like this we’re all going to be back WFO before we know it.
No mention of WFH being lonely, so you take your full lunch hour getting out, so still eat out.
I’ve worked from home 8 years now and usually when busy I eat out as making lunch takes up precious time.
No mention of heating and electric bills WFH.
It costs a fortune running IT all day.
No mention of insurance WFH with all the extra gear you need.
No idea as I pay lots of extra for prof indemnity etc, but at least £100 for WFH I’d say.
No mention of still needing a car or travel pass for the odd office or client runs etc.
I can easily see most savings of WFH being absorbed via the costs above.
And now you’ll need to pay 5% because you’re better off WFH.
Quite frankly I’d be wanting to be back in the office at that rate as all the benefits have gone.
I decided to work for myself years ago and WFH, and it was a saving on one hand, but a huge raft of downsides and costs on the other.
It certainly wasn’t a ‘bonus’ to be taxed on.
Would you pay 5% extra tax to WFH?
Are your employers currently paying you extra to cover incidental costs?
It’s says for ‘people that choose to WFh’.....I’ve been saying from the start that pandemic induced WFH wouldn’t be a panacea and going back to the office would likely be a ‘thing’ despite many suggesting this was the start of a new WFH wave.
With nonsense like this we’re all going to be back WFO before we know it.
No mention of WFH being lonely, so you take your full lunch hour getting out, so still eat out.
I’ve worked from home 8 years now and usually when busy I eat out as making lunch takes up precious time.
No mention of heating and electric bills WFH.
It costs a fortune running IT all day.
No mention of insurance WFH with all the extra gear you need.
No idea as I pay lots of extra for prof indemnity etc, but at least £100 for WFH I’d say.
No mention of still needing a car or travel pass for the odd office or client runs etc.
I can easily see most savings of WFH being absorbed via the costs above.
And now you’ll need to pay 5% because you’re better off WFH.
Quite frankly I’d be wanting to be back in the office at that rate as all the benefits have gone.
I decided to work for myself years ago and WFH, and it was a saving on one hand, but a huge raft of downsides and costs on the other.
It certainly wasn’t a ‘bonus’ to be taxed on.
Would you pay 5% extra tax to WFH?
Are your employers currently paying you extra to cover incidental costs?
Most people WFH since March are not choosing to. They are u dear instruction from Boris to do so. Additionally, my employer will only mandate a limit of 25% manning in the office due to social distancing.
So I think most people WFH since Marchwould have a valid argument for not paying such a tax as it’s not through choice.
Interesting. The government are actually offering a (tiny) tax break for WFH at the moment, but not doubt it'll flip if too many people stay at home once this has eased off a bit - https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/workin...
Personally I can't wait to get back to the office. 8 months stuck in my spare room is doing my head in!
Personally I can't wait to get back to the office. 8 months stuck in my spare room is doing my head in!
Fittster said:
Mr Whippy said:
No mention of heating and electric bills WFH.
It costs a fortune running IT all day.
No mention of insurance WFH with all the extra gear you need.
No idea as I pay lots of extra for prof indemnity etc, but at least £100 for WFH I’d say.
What equipment are you using? It costs a fortune running IT all day.
No mention of insurance WFH with all the extra gear you need.
No idea as I pay lots of extra for prof indemnity etc, but at least £100 for WFH I’d say.
I live locally to my employer so in reality WFH isn't saving me any money.
I use less diesel but am paying more in light, heat and incidental costs (such as a new monitor and, in time, new chair and carpet).
You can tell most of the people who prepare these studies don't have any idea most people work outside the big cities.
I use less diesel but am paying more in light, heat and incidental costs (such as a new monitor and, in time, new chair and carpet).
You can tell most of the people who prepare these studies don't have any idea most people work outside the big cities.
Edited by JagLover on Wednesday 11th November 10:23
On the contrary, if you are PAYE and WFH, you can claim up to £125 tax relief this year, dependent on your tax rate.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/oct/16/work...
For basic rate taxpayers – those earning between £12,500 and £50,000 a year – the relief is worth 20% of the £6: £1.20 a week. Higher rate taxpayers (those earning £50,000-plus) can claim 40% or £2.40 a week. If you end up working the whole tax year at home – from 6 April 2020 onwards, you will be able to reduce next year’s tax bill by £62.40 or £124.80 respectively
Eligibility checker here:
https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/workin...
(Basically if you didn't WFH before Covid, have been told to WFH by your employer and don't fill in a Self-Assessment form, you can claim it).
You need to go through the pain of creating a Government Gateway ID which should give you CV skills in Cyber Hacking, but once you've done that you're in.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/oct/16/work...
For basic rate taxpayers – those earning between £12,500 and £50,000 a year – the relief is worth 20% of the £6: £1.20 a week. Higher rate taxpayers (those earning £50,000-plus) can claim 40% or £2.40 a week. If you end up working the whole tax year at home – from 6 April 2020 onwards, you will be able to reduce next year’s tax bill by £62.40 or £124.80 respectively
Eligibility checker here:
https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/workin...
(Basically if you didn't WFH before Covid, have been told to WFH by your employer and don't fill in a Self-Assessment form, you can claim it).
You need to go through the pain of creating a Government Gateway ID which should give you CV skills in Cyber Hacking, but once you've done that you're in.
Edited by PurpleTurtle on Wednesday 11th November 10:24
Pre-COVID, I was negotiating with my client to work from home more frequently.
I was commuting to the client office in London every week, but it was becoming clear that due to reorganisations in the company there were less and less people I could work with at the London office and 90% of my time was being spent finding small meeting rooms/booths to hold confidential calls.
The client agreed to reduce my office days to 3 a week, and as I'm inside IR35 it's all out of my own pocket (been there a while now, just move to different areas of the business every 2-3 years). 2 night less in a B&B saved a little, but I still had the travel costs and 2 nights B&B to pay for.
Since March, I've been at home all the time, and I have 'suggested' that I won't be coming back to the office at all, as I've been doing my role as effectively from home as I did from the office...and I have better computer functionality here as I'm not stuck using a single 17" external 2nd monitor.
The benefits are that I save £300/week, I save 4-5 hours of travel each way, car insurance & maintenance are reduced (in fact I won't need a commuting car at all), and I'm not knackered on the first day in the office after a 4am start.
I was commuting to the client office in London every week, but it was becoming clear that due to reorganisations in the company there were less and less people I could work with at the London office and 90% of my time was being spent finding small meeting rooms/booths to hold confidential calls.
The client agreed to reduce my office days to 3 a week, and as I'm inside IR35 it's all out of my own pocket (been there a while now, just move to different areas of the business every 2-3 years). 2 night less in a B&B saved a little, but I still had the travel costs and 2 nights B&B to pay for.
Since March, I've been at home all the time, and I have 'suggested' that I won't be coming back to the office at all, as I've been doing my role as effectively from home as I did from the office...and I have better computer functionality here as I'm not stuck using a single 17" external 2nd monitor.
The benefits are that I save £300/week, I save 4-5 hours of travel each way, car insurance & maintenance are reduced (in fact I won't need a commuting car at all), and I'm not knackered on the first day in the office after a 4am start.
DB report author who needs to put his head in a blender said:
....this is only fair, as those who work from home are saving money and not paying into the system like those who go out to work
I WFH, I pay the same income tax and NI, how am I not paying into the system?Granted my purchasing profile has changed, less fuel and more Amazon, which has an impact on VAT however make the required changes to make sure this is addressed directly.
g4ry13 said:
The whole notion is ridiculous.
Personally speaking, i'd forfeit 5% of my salary if it meant never having to commute into an office again and seeing my colleagues
I’ve worked at home since the mid-nineties. Looking back it must have saved tens of thousands hours that would have been wasted commuting, and easily over £250k in cost-savings.Personally speaking, i'd forfeit 5% of my salary if it meant never having to commute into an office again and seeing my colleagues
Shorter days, better quality of family life, and saves lots of money. Bit of a no-brainer really, I’d happily pay the 5%
Claiming tax relief for costs incurred through Working From Home has ALWAYS been allowed. It is not a new thing.
HOWEVER, in order for a claim to be valid, the requirement to Work From Home MUST be compulsory - as part of the employment contract, as a direct instruction from the employer or due to legislation put in place by the government (such as during an pandemic).
If an employee CHOOSES to work from home, they cannot make a claim.
HOWEVER, in order for a claim to be valid, the requirement to Work From Home MUST be compulsory - as part of the employment contract, as a direct instruction from the employer or due to legislation put in place by the government (such as during an pandemic).
If an employee CHOOSES to work from home, they cannot make a claim.
Fittster said:
What equipment are you using?
Well I work at home as a freelance drawing and colouring in’er.3 big 32” screens, loads of rendering from multiple cpu or gpu, a NAS machine, etc.
Probably constant averaged 24hr 100-200W load?!
Then lighting and heating that room 24/7, as I’ll often work evenings or into early hours.
Either way it’s not a trivial amount if you’re suddenly WFH.
If you can remote in to a workstation on a good connection with multiple screens then you’re away... if that’s a thing (I’m doing it locally on 1gbit lan to my other workstation and it’s not great so not sure)
Mr Whippy said:
Fittster said:
What equipment are you using?
Well I work at home as a freelance drawing and colouring in’er.3 big 32” screens, loads of rendering from multiple cpu or gpu, a NAS machine, etc.
Probably constant averaged 24hr 100-200W load?!
Then lighting and heating that room 24/7, as I’ll often work evenings or into early hours.
Either way it’s not a trivial amount if you’re suddenly WFH.
If you can remote in to a workstation on a good connection with multiple screens then you’re away... if that’s a thing (I’m doing it locally on 1gbit lan to my other workstation and it’s not great so not sure)
Mr Whippy said:
No mention of insurance WFH with all the extra gear you need.
Why would you need to insure the extra gear? Assuming you are employed, any kit they have provided is their responsibility to insure. My policy states clearly that only my own property is covered.Edited by Ganglandboss on Wednesday 11th November 10:56
menousername said:
I guess DB are heavily exposed to commercial property. And also stuck in some long term commitments on their own offices.
The notion is obviously unworkable on many levels. Let’s ignore them and carry on.
Indeed this is likely the case.The notion is obviously unworkable on many levels. Let’s ignore them and carry on.
If government start listening to these people though it could spell a brisk end to WFH.
I assume DB have a bunch of people nattering in government’s ears, ala USA lobbyist style... and will make some of their ideas stick.
It’s just an interesting topic and I’m sure there are more facets to come into play as time passes.
I’m optimistic for WFO to come back quite dramatically. Mainly because WFH isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Great for 6 months as a novelty, then the reality sets in...
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