Many of these employees will never have worked from home before, therefore will be totally unaware of the relief that is available to them.
Revenue has made provisions for these people to be reimbursed for work-related expenses, which include heating, internet and even electricity.
In Ireland, most benefits from employment that are provided in addition to pay are subject to income tax.
This also applies to benefits-in-kind.
Benefits-in-kind are perks received by an employee that cannot be converted into cash but that have a cash value. These include company cars, loans or accommodation.
If you are teleworking (using a computer to work from home) your employer may provide you with a computer, printer or other equipment. In this case, the equipment provided is not assessed for tax as a benefit-in-kind so long as it is used primarily for business use.
If your employer provides expenses to cover costs such as heating and light, these can be paid without being taxed. See Revenue's website for more details.
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CEO of Taxback.com, Joanna Murphy, says that from a tax perspective, an employer can pay €3.20 a day to their employee to cover these additional costs.
This payment, she continued, is tax-free, meaning they won't be deducting PAYE, PRSI or USC from that amount. However, employers have no legal obligation to pay the tax relief.
"But even if your employer doesn't and/or isn't in a position to pay the €3.20, these expenses are eligible for tax relief meaning the home-worker can claim tax back on them," Joanna said.
"Any claims made will need to be supported with evidence in the form of receipts and possibly a letter from your employer stating that you do, in fact, work from home and that they do not reimburse you for these expenses," she added.
She also said that the allowance reclaimed must be reasonable, given that the utilities being used in your home are also for the benefit of any other tenants – meaning that the refund received will be based on only a portion of the overall expenses.
For more information on this, visit the Citizen's Information website here.
Main image by @stephaniebroek
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