Majority of staff say working from home is costing them extra

MOST people working from home say that remote working is costing them money.

A survey found that a huge 89pc of people forced into remote working say they are out of pocket after working from a spare room, the kitchen table or their bedroom.

Most people now believe that working from home will remain a dominant feature of their lives well into 2021.

The findings are from the latest Taxback.com Consumer Sentiment Survey Series, in which 1,200 respondents from Taxback’s customer database were asked how remote working is likely to impact them as we move to a new year.

The decision to move the country to Level 5 restrictions in a bid to suppress the coronavirus has led to renewed calls from the Government for everyone who can work from home to do so.

Last week’s Budget saw the thousands forced to work from home offered a modest financial incentive to do so.

Currently, remote workers can claim tax relief on their

Tax relief can be claimed on heating, electricity, broadband

heating and electricity bills. They can now do the same with broadband.

But there was no move to make it compulsory for employers to pay a daily subsistence allowance to those working from home.

Employers can reimburse home workers a daily allowance of €3.20, which is tax free. However, this allowance is not mandatory and is at the discretion of the employer if this is paid.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has been lobbying the Government to make it compulsory and to reassess the amount.

The Taxback.com survey found that 52pc of those who replied said working from home was costing them a little more, with another 37pc saying it is costing them a lot more.

The additional cost of household utilities, particularly home heating as the weather gets colder, is a burden for workers. Being at home more means using more electricity and oil or gas, with some also having to upgrade their broadband service.