Are professional fees and subscriptions allowable for tax?

You can claim tax relief on fees or subscriptions you pay - but only if:

• you must have membership in order to do your job or
• it is helpful for your work.

HMRC maintains a list of approved professional organisations which you can view online here.

You cannot claim tax back on fees or subscriptions you have paid to professional organisations not approved by HMRC or for:

• life membership subscriptions
• fees or subscriptions you have not paid for yourself (for example, if your employer has paid for them).

You can check if you can claim specific work-related expenses using HMRC’s online tool and make your claim this way if you are not already required to file a self-assessment tax return. 

If you complete a tax return, you should claim for professional fees and subscriptions that way.  You can claim for the current tax year and the four previous years if you have not claimed for them yet. 

If you have multiple years to claim for or would like some support with claiming your expenses, please contact us on 0800 0523 555 or enquire online here to arrange an appointment.

Last updated 3 Aug 2026 | First published 7 Jan 2020

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This article is intended to inform rather than advise and is based on legislation and practice at the time. Taxpayer’s circumstances do vary and if you feel that the information provided is beneficial it is important that you contact us before implementation. If you take, or do not take action as a result of reading this article, before receiving our written endorsement, we will accept no responsibility for any financial loss incurred.

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