Offshore tax refunds

The average offshore tax refund comes to £3,000. Offshore workers can claim a tax rebate for travel to what HMRC call "temporary workplaces" (under 24 months), including travel to and from airports or heliports, as well other work related expenses such as gear and uniforms. You can claim for the last four tax years too!

Can I claim an Offshore workers tax refund?

You may be able to claim if:

You work offshore in oil, gas, energy or a related sector
You travel to temporary workplaces
You pay for your own mileage or public transport to airports or heliports
You pay for hotels before travelling offshore
You pay for specialist clothing, tools, gear or professional fees
Your employer does not fully reimburse your costs
You have eligible expenses from the last 4 tax years

What if I work on ships?

Some ship workers may fall under different rules, including Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction. If you’re not sure whether you need an offshore tax refund claim or a different type of tax claim, RIFT can help check.

26 years of tax refunds

  • over £400m claimed in tax refunds
  • more than 150,000 customers helped
  • paid more than £100,000 in referrals each year

Tax rebates
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FAQsOur most popular offshore questions

  • I pay for a taxi from hotel to heliport, can I claim for this?

    Yes, as long as you’ve got a receipt from the taxi driver.

    We can’t claim without the receipt because prices can vary a lot and we need evidence of your actual expenses for HMRC. We can only claim for the actual taxi rides you made, not the average cost between two destinations.

    Have a look at our checklist of the documents or paperwork we'll need for your claim.

    Use our tax calculator to see if due a tax refund for your travel and expenses.

  • I get a helicopter to my rig which I don’t pay for, can I still make a claim?

    Yes, we claim the mileage from your home to the heliport.

    Use our tax calculator to see how much you could claim back.

  • Is claiming a tax refund the same as Seafarer’s Earnings Deduction?

    No this is completely different. Seafarers deduction deals with residency issues and how many days you are out of the country. Our claim is for your travel from your home to the heliports.

    Tax refunds aren't just for offshore travel expenses, either. The tax rules also allow offshore workers to claim for hotel bills and a number of other expenses. If you're footing those bills yourself, you could be due some cash. Working offshore is challenging enough already. You don't need the taxman drilling deeper into your wages than he's supposed to.

    Use our tax calculator to find out if you're owed a refund.

  • I stay in a hotel the night before I leave for the rig, can I claim this back?

    Yes, as long as you’ve got the receipt.

    We can’t claim without the receipt because costs for hotels can vary a lot, even for the same room on different dates.

    We need evidence of your actual expenses for HMRC. We can only claim for the actual stays you made.

    Have a look at our checklist of the documents or paperwork we'll need for your claim.

  • I travel home fortnightly, is it worth me claiming?

    Definitely. Most of our offshore clients work two weeks on, two weeks off and we can claim on average £700 - £900 per year.

    Use our tax calculator to see if you're owed anything for the past 4 years.

  • What if I can’t remember what rigs I’ve been to?

    If you’re having any problems with getting your travel history, we've listed 2 possible options below:

    • If your employer has contractor access to Vantage, they may be able to provide this information for you.
    • Use our free ‘Forms by Phone’ service and our experienced team will assist you with completing this information.

    Don’t worry to much if you can’t remember everything, we don’t need exact dates and locations for your first claim, just give as much detail as you can.

    By the time you come to make any future claims you'll know what to keep each year so we'll probably be able to claim a lot more for you.

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