TAX CREDIT FOR HOME WORKERS

CHANGING work circumstances mean the Government and employers are coming under increasing pressure to support staff likely to be working from home for the foreseeable future.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said access to tax supports must be improved for workers. The union has also warned against new staff being recruited and paid at rates that vary depending on where they live.

Workers are also likely to face increased competition for new roles from abroad, because working from home means roles do not necessarily have to be carried out in Ireland any more, it says.

At present, a workplace can reimburse staff €3.20 a work day tax-free to cover workrelated expenses incurred working from home. However, if employers do not reimburse staff, workers must instead make a claim to Revenue for the actual cost of working from home instead of the €3.20 an employer may pay.

ICTU has called on the Government to make this more accessible.

“What the Taoiseach might consider is making it easier for workers to get that tax credit without relying on the goodwill of the employer to pay it,” ICTU social policy officer Laura Bambrick said.