HMRC “now allow double glazing as a deduction”

According to an article on www.aboutproperty.co.uk landlord, and independent property expert David Lawrenson has called on the government to extend the energy saving allowance for landlords to cover the replacement of old boilers.

Apparently, according to Mr Lawrenson the present rules are unclear because “HMRC will not allow a deduction for the replacement of fixtures that constitute an improvement.” It appears however that things may be changing as Helen Demuth, a tax expert at Smith & Williamson states: “HMRC did not used to allow a deduction for double glazed windows since they were an improvement on single glazed windows. They now allow double glazing as a deduction.”

This is certainly a welcome change from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs as it is well documented that installing energy efficient, energy rated double glazing saves energy, and therefore reduces energy bills.

Finally, in this article, which focuses on the benefits of replacing inefficient boilers, Mr Lawrenson added: “The current confusion means that when a landlord is faced with the cost of replacing an old boiler, he is more likely to try to keep it going than to replace it, especially as repair costs can also be claimed as a valid running cost. This is bad for the environment and bad for the UK’s carbon footprint.”