Gillingham MP Paul Clark (Lab) claimed nearly £3,000 over three years for advice about his tax returns, it has emerged.

In 2004, he submitted a claim for £799 for what was described as "professional services in connection with your accountancy and taxation affairs" from chartered accountants H.W. Fisher.

In 2005, he submitted a similar claim for £834.35 to cover the same costs from the same company; then last year, he submitted a claim to cover a bill for £1,327.75, again from the same accountancy firm.

Mr Clark, a junior minister, has also handed back £343.48 for a gas bill which was claimed for twice. Dover Labour MP Gwyn Prosser also submitted a claim from the same company for similar advice over his tax affairs. Last year, he submitted an expenses claim for £769.63 to cover the costs of preparing his tax return for the financial year ended in 2007.

While the Conservative party has insisted that the practice is wrong, a statement issued by the Labour party last month said MPs who had sought such advice from accountants had honoured all their tax liabilities.

Kent MPs caught up in the affair over their allowances are among dozens to have paid back thousands of pounds for expenses claims they submitted.

The repayments from four of the county’s MPs cover claims for bedding, towels, bookcases and a gas bill claimed for twice.

The largest sum repaid was by the Dartford Labour backbencher Dr Howard Stoate. He has handed back more than £11,000 from money he claimed in second homes allowance – among the top 10 sums returned by all MPs.

Dr Stoate, whose constituency is among those closest to London, has already said he no longer intends to claim for his second home allowance and the sum covered allowances claimed this year which have not yet been published.

"I think the additional costs allowance has become so completely discredited and unfit for purpose, until we reform it I think it is difficult to justify the whole allowance at all," he said.

Conservative MP Michael Fallon, who represents Sevenoaks, has repaid the second highest sum - £2,526 for bookshelves for his London home.

Canterbury Conservative MP Julian Brazier has repaid £264 for bedding and towels for a spare bedroom at his second home.

Mr Prosser said: "I never used accountants for my tax returns until I became an MP.The difficulty is we are taxed partly as self-employed people and partly as employers and to be frank, I did not really know how to do it." But he emphasised that any liability for VAT on the advice receieved had been paid.

What our MPs have paid back:

Dr Howard Stoate: £11,255 – second homes allowance Michael Fallon: £2,526 - bookshelves Paul Clark £343.48 – double payment for gas bills Julian Brazier: £264 – bedding and towels for spare bedroom