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[Harriettheoriginalspy]

I am about to start a new role and have also just qualified in my profession for which there will be a cost of about £1k (annual fee and admission fee).

My new employer are very small and are aware of my qualification although this was delayed due to Covid and admin. Old employer were a huge firm and expensing the 1k wouldn’t have been noticed.

It is common practice to expense these fees (encouraged) but I had been hoping to do it before I left employer so as to start new employment on a giving rather than a taking note.

I am happy to pay the fees myself this time given all of this.

Do you recommend I just shoulder the cost myself or broach it with new employer?

I would ask your new employer what their procedure is if it's not specified in your contract.
If you do end up paying it yourself you can claim tax relief, so will at least get a bit of the cost back.

@sorryiasked

I would ask your new employer what their procedure is if it's not specified in your contract. If you do end up paying it yourself you can claim tax relief, so will at least get a bit of the cost back.

Be careful with this! The annual fee is tax deductible but the admission fee usually isn’t (as it’s a one off investment in you rather than a cost of you being employed). Therefore even if the employer does pay it they may need you to pay tax on that admission fee part of it. This happened to me and I queried it but they were right

New employer definitely
You’re not asking for a luxury
It benefits them too.