Revealed: Top 5 worst tax return expense claims

Buying a pair of flip-flops was one of the more expense claims revealed by HMRC.

With a week to go until the deadline for self assessment, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed the most spurious things that some taxpayers tried - and failed - to claim for.

1. The cost of storing Mars bars overnight in a fridge.

2. The cost of a pair of flip-flops so I don’t have to walk barefoot between my work’s changing and shower rooms.

3. The costs for my intimate waxing.

4. I bought a second-hand car to get me from home to work so I didn’t have to walk.

5. I purchased my own flat, so I need to claim back the money I spent on the furniture.

Ruth Owen, HMRC Director General of Personal Tax, said: “There are a number of items and expenses that people can claim against, such as genuine business costs and items needed to do a job.

"But a painful beauty regime or the furniture for your own home are not items that every taxpayer in the country should be contributing towards.

"It’s wrong that a small minority of people expect the honest majority to subsidise their lifestyle, and HMRC will never allow for these to be processed as genuine claims."

Taxpayers are reminded there is now only one week left to submit your 2014-15 online tax return, and pay what you owe to HMRC to avoid a £100 late-return penalty.