Hi!
Between 2021-2023 I received scholarship/sponsorship payments by my employer. approx. 14K was paid directly to my university and 3 further sponsorship allowances were paid directly to me across 2021-2023 totalling $7500 but were taxed before I received any money. I left the job in September 2023 and had to repay 50% of the pre-tax amount that my employer had paid to me- directly back to my employer, even though I was already taxed on it (due to not continuing to work for them for the full 3 years stipulated in the scholarship contract) .
So, this financial year I had to pay around 7K to my employer- am I able to claim this as a work-related self-education expense (as the course they sponsored was directly related to my work- and still is, and has now become an expense to me directly this year)?
Alternatively, can I recoup any of the tax I paid on the sponsorship money, as I have now had to pay it back in full (including the tax that was taken before I received it)?
Thanks!